


Rule The World For A Day

by alistoney



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Fantasy, Found Family, Intense Character Development, M/M, Magic, Minor Character Death, Physical Abuse, Politics, Prince Alec, Prince Magnus, Princess Isabelle - Freeform, Royalty AU, Secrets, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-23
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2019-08-28 01:14:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 30,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16713748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alistoney/pseuds/alistoney
Summary: The angelic kingdom of Idris and the downworld kingdom of Edom are creeping closer and closer to what looks to be a full out war. But what happens when the crown prince of Idris goes undercover to Edom to try and take them down from the inside?





	1. Chapter I

**Author's Note:**

> This fic has been my brainchild for a really long time (like almost a year) and I haven’t had the guts to make it a real thing until now. I’ve never written a fic like this before so please be gentle. I’m doing my best. 
> 
> The biggest thanks to [zahrabane](https://archiveofourown.org/users/zahrabane/pseuds/zahrabane) for listening to me rant and ramble about this fic since at least March AND for being the worlds best beta
> 
> (Yes the title is taken from Open Up Your Eyes which was the song from the Malec Valentines Day trailer. Oh the good ol’ days)

“Alec!” 

Alec groans and pulls the covers over himself in a desperate attempt to pretend that his sister isn’t in the room so he can keep sleeping.

“Alec, get up! We have to get ready. Lydia will be here soon,” she says, pulling the covers off of Alec. He slips one eye open to glare at her and groans under his breath.

She’s already dressed in a burgundy dress, hair curled and pinned artfully atop her head. He doesn’t know how she manages to look so put together so early in the morning.

“Mother and Father won’t be happy with you if you aren’t dressed to welcome your fiancé.” 

Alec rolls his eyes. Both he and Izzy know Lydia doesn’t need to be impressed by him. They’re only marrying because Lydia is the daughter of a very wealthy family that has always had close ties to the Lightwood Royal Family and they’ve been betrothed to each other since before Alec could even walk. 

He and Lydia both know that their marriage is a political one and they haven’t ever expressed any real romantic interest in each other. They’re friends and Alec doesn’t hate her, so he supposes it could be worse.

Izzy rolls her eyes back at him and points to his closet.

“Get dressed.” 

“You’re only excited because you get to dress up.” Alec sighs as he climbs out of his bed and runs a hand through his hair in an attempt to tame it. 

“I’m excited because we haven’t seen Lydia in  _ years _ and you might have forgotten but she’s also  _ my _ friend.” 

Alec sighs and ushers Izzy out of the room with a chuckle. When they’re standing in the hall outside his room, she sends him another one of her sister glares. 

“Come down quickly, I don’t want to deal with our parents being angry today.” 

Alec nods because for all they’d been joking, it really is pain to deal with the King and Queen when they were angry. 

“I’ll be down in ten.” 

***

They hold a ball to celebrate Lydia’s arrival, because of course they do. 

When Lydia sweeps into the immaculately decorated ballroom dressed in a gold gown and her hair curling over her shoulders, one of the nobles standing by Alec chuckles and rests a hand on his shoulder. 

“You are a lucky man, Your Highness.” 

Alec looks back at Lydia again and feels disappointment in his gut. She’s beautiful. Gorgeous even. But he’s not attracted to her. He never will be. 

He feels his heart wrench painfully as he thinks about the future. Having to live out a loveless marriage. He knows that this is his duty. This has been the one thing he’s known he’d have to do since he learned what marriage was. Get married. Rule Idris. That has always been the plan. He’s been preparing for this his entire life, but now that it’s finally here, he can’t shake the feeling that he’s making a terrible mistake.

The arrival of Jace, Alec’s adoptive brother, pulls Alec out of his thoughts as he watches Jace saunter into the room with a pretty girl on his arm. Probably one of the latest noble’s daughters that he’s managed to woo. 

Jace weaves through the crowd to get to Alec and bows exaggeratedly in front of him.

“Your Highness,” he says before straightening and looking at Alec with gleaming eyes. 

Alec rolls his eyes at him and shares an exasperated look with Lydia. At least she finds Jace as annoying as he does.

“You know I don’t like when you do that,” Alec tells Jace. 

Jace grins in response, arm tightening around the girl’s arm. 

“Which is precisely why it was necessary.”

Jace leaves to take part in the dancing that has started in the middle of the room, leaving Lydia and Alec to stand by the door and greet all their guests. A frankly boring job if Alec has anything to say about it.

When there’s a lull in people, Lydia turns to Alec with a tired sigh. 

“Can you believe they’ve put on a ball when there’s a war on the horizon?” She mutters under her breath and Alec smiles for what feels like the first time since he’s entered the room. Lydia isn’t so bad. The two of them are actually very similar.

Alec turns to face Lydia fully and shakes his head. 

“Mother and Father think that a ball will distract the people from panicking about the war. Edom has captured Noctis, the last of the Downworld kingdoms. Idris is the only thing standing in its way to complete domination of the entire Shadow World.” 

Lydia purses her lips together and stares back at Alec gravely, even as the party swirls happily around them.

“What are you doing in case of an attack?”

“We’re consolidating supplies, getting our army together. When Edom attacks we’ll be ready,” Alec watches a group of young noble children dance in a circle on the edge of the dance floor and sighs. “I just don’t know if it will be enough.” 

***

Alec walks Lydia back to her chambers after the ball. Her hand rests in the crook of his elbow as they climb the steps and Alec can’t shake the feeling of something being  _ wrong _ about it. 

He didn’t anticipate how hard it would to be to marry someone he didn’t want to marry. 

They smile at each other when they reach the door. Lydia’s smile makes her eyes sparkle but Alec still can’t shake the feeling of wrongness in his chest.  

He needs to tell her. Alec doesn’t even  _ know  _ if Lydia knows that Alec could never love her. 

“Lydia,” he sighs, just as Lydia is about to turn to go into her room. 

She turns and looks at him expectantly and Alec almost doesn’t tell her.  _ Almost. _

“About the wedding. Before we-um-you should know-“ 

He’s cut off my Lydia placing a hand on Alec’s arm.

“Alec,” she says softly, “I know. I agreed to this marriage knowing that your romantic interests lie elsewhere. That this is purely political. It’s okay. This marriage it’s-“ 

“Our duty.” Alec finishes, a small smile curving his lips. Now that everything was out in the open, it feels like he’s let out a breath he’s been holding since Lydia arrived. 

“Nothing more,” Lydia says with a nod of her head, and then they’re both smiling much more genuinely than they had been before. It seems talking about this has loosened Lydia’s tension as well as Alec’s. 

They could do this. 

He smiles and takes Lydia’s hand, kissing it, because that’s what he’s been taught to do, and then looking up at her. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow for brunch.”

“Oh wretched brunch,” Lydia sighs into the air and Alec laughs softly before stepping away to let her shut the door.

Alec’s steps feel lighter as he walks towards his own chambers, the weight of an unwanted marriage made easier to carry with two people holding it up. 

The halls are dark at this time of night, the stained glass windows letting in muted streams of moonlight that sparkle over the gold on the ceilings. 

He walks down the wide corridor and turns towards his chambers only to stop in his tracks outside of the war room. 

He can hear the faint sound of his mother’s voice, sharp and tense as he steps closer to the door. 

“Robert we can’t,” he hears his mother hiss. He hears the tap of her heels against the floor and can imagine her pacing the room with her arms crossed. 

“If we don’t, we won’t stand a chance against Edom,” he hears his father reply. 

Alec shifts closer to the door, moving slowly to make sure he doesn’t make any noise. He knows he should just leave, go to bed like he’d been planning to. But this is the first time Alec has actually heard his parents speak about the looming war with anything other than surety that they’d prevail. 

“We need help,” his father continues, “the Circle-“ he’s cut of abruptly by Maryse, and Alec hears the sound of something being slammed down onto the table. 

“The Circle will only provide dark magic,” his mother hisses and Alec’s heart picks up in his chest.

The Circle? The Circle was  _ dead _ . His parents were done with the Circle. Magic was outlawed because of what Valentine had tried to do with all that dark magic. His parents would  _ never _ \- 

Alec’s thoughts come to an abrupt halt as it dawns on him why his parents have resorted to the Circle at all. 

They are scared Idris will fall. 

In fact, they are almost sure that it will. 

Alec feels something sick twist in his stomach and he takes a few wobbly steps away from the door, taking a breath to try and calm the panic that is quickly overtaking him. 

He gets to the hall near his room before he flattens himself against the wall and lets himself actually think.

His parents have all but resigned themselves to Idris’ fall. They might bring in the Circle which would bring nothing good. All that would do is help them fall before Edom could even get to them. His parents should know that. The thought sends a jolt of anger through him and he clenches his fists hard. 

If his parents aren’t going to save their kingdom then he’s just going to have to do it himself.

He’s Alexander Lightwood. The crown prince of Idris. And he isn’t about to resign himself to their demise. This is  _ his _ kingdom and he’s going to make damn sure that no one destroys it. 

***

“Cat has informed me that the shipment is crossing the border as we speak. Are you ready?” 

Magnus smiles as Maia salutes at him, eyes shining in the light from The Jade Wolf. 

“Never been more ready.”

Magnus follows her as she opens the door and walks out into the night. Her dark clothes instantly blend in with the night and Magnus can only see the glint of her teeth as she flashes him a cheeky smile. 

“Be careful,” he says seriously. Ever since they’d lost Jocelyn, Magnus has been wary about sending anyone from the resistance out on missions. He cares about them all and he won’t be able to forgive himself if anything happened to them. 

It’s been years, but the loss still scratches at his heart every time someone goes off on a mission. 

“I’m always careful.” Maia’s voice is smooth and confident as she throws her arm over Clary’s shoulder. “Plus Clary’s got my back.” 

Clary is easier to see in the dark, her bright red hair shining under the moonlight as she laughs and leans into Maia’s side. 

“We’ll be fine,” she tells Magnus, eyes wide and serious. Out of all of them, she understands Magnus’ fear of losing someone on a mission the best. 

She’d been a wreck when her mother had died. She’d only been 15, but Magnus still remembers the way she’d gone deadly silent at the news. He hadn’t seen her cry but he’s sure it happened at some point. 

She hasn’t been the same sine. The softness of childhood disappearing into a fiery determination. Magnus loves her all the same and whisks her away from home on the anniversary of the day they lost Jocelyn every year. The one night when Luke’s sadness is just too much for her take. 

“My badass girls,” Magnus says, smiling back at Clary, “good luck.” 

And with that they turn and disappear into the night. 

***

When Magnus returns to the castle, he finds Ragnor in his room reading a book. He looks up when Magnus enters and raises an eyebrow.

“Where have you been all day?” he asks, “Partaking in some dangerous activity that will piss your father off?” 

Magnus comes to sit down on the bed next to Ragnor and grins. 

“Technically  _ I  _ am not,” he says, laughing when Ragnor groans and sets his book down on the bedside table. 

“You need to be careful,” Ragnor says and Magnus sobers. He  _ knows  _ that. And he  _ is _ being careful. But it’s not like he can just sit here and continue to let his father destroy The Shadow World.

“I am being careful,” Magnus replies and then quickly changes the subject so that he doesn’t have to listen to Ragnor lecture him for the hundredth time.

“How’s Raphael?” he asks and Ragnor narrows his eyes at him. 

“He’s fine,” He says shortly and Magnus grins triumphantly when he sees Ragnor’s cheeks go slightly pink. 

It hasn’t escaped his notice that Ragnor has been spending a lot of time with one of the resistance members. 

He nods exaggeratedly and is about to continue when there’s a knock on the door and Cat steps into the room. 

There’s an odd sort of look on her face and Magnus’ heart drops in his chest. Had something happened to Clary and Maia?

Magnus stands from the bed quickly and looks at Cat with wide eyes.

“Clary and Maia intercepted the weapons transfer. The mission was a success. They’re both fine,” Cat says and Magnus lets go of the breath he’d been holding.

“Don’t scare me like that,” he mutters, moving to lean against the wall and glaring at Cat. 

Cat still has a worried look in her eyes and Magnus sighs. 

“What is it?” he asks, because it doesn’t seem like Cat is going to tell him what’s wrong unless he outright asks. 

“The mission was a success,” Cat repeats slowly, clasping her hands together and biting her lip, “but your father noticed. He wants to speak with you.” 

Magnus freezes, his blood turning to ice in his veins. His father hasn’t spoken to him in months. And those were only curt, stress filled engagements that were over in a few minutes. Magnus hasn’t properly spoken to him since he’d realized what his father was trying to do and decided he wanted no part in it. 

His father hadn’t been too happy about that. Magnus had walked out of that conversation with an impressive collection of bruises and his magical reserve running dangerously low. 

Since then, conversations with his father have never ended well.

*** 

When Magnus is let into the throne room it’s to the sight of his father sitting on the silver throne in the center of the room with his cane lazily held in one hand and a smirk set on his lips. 

Magnus purposefully doesn’t look at the empty throne next to his father’s. It hurts too much. 

“Father,” he says, proud when his voice doesn’t waver over the word.

“Magnus,” Asmodeus replies. His eyes are sharp and calculating as they roam Magnus’ body. Magnus fights not to twitch under the gaze.

He curls his hands into fists so that Asmodeus can’t tell that they’re shaking slightly before he takes a deep breath and raises his head high.

“You wanted to speak with me?”

Asmodeus’ smirk slowly widens and he turns his cane over in his hands, moonlight catching on it as it moves. 

“Yes,” he says slowly, “Supplies and weapons have been disappearing on their way to the castle one too many times for it to be a coincidence.” 

Magnus has to dig his nails into his palms to stop himself from visibly reacting to the statement. 

“Do you happen to know anything about this?” Asmodeus goes on with a knowing smirk. 

Magnus curses inwardly. His father  _ knows _ Magnus is against everything he’s trying to do with this war. Of course he’d be the first suspect. But that doesn’t mean his father knows about the resistance and Magnus isn’t about to let him find out. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Magnus replies, looking his father straight in the eyes for the first time since he’d walked in. He has to fight down a stream of panic at the darkness he sees on the edge of his father’s smile. 

“Wonderful, then I’m putting you in charge of the transfers.”

Magnus tries to stamp down the anger that floods into him. He  _ knows  _ his father is only doing this to get a rise out of him. He know Magnus wants nothing to do with him or this war. He’s only doing this to make sure Magnus doesn’t keep intercepting the transfers.

“You know I don’t want anything to do with this sick war of yours,” Magnus grits out, trying to hold his temper at bay. 

“I didn’t  _ ask _ what you wanted. You will be in charge of the transfers,” Asmodeus says sharply and Magnus loses his fragile hold on his anger.

“Not a chance in hell,” he spits out.

In a second he’s against the wall on the other side of the room, back hitting the stone painfully. He falls onto the ground, winded for a second, and gasps in pain. 

Asmodeus is standing at his throne now, any trace of amusement long gone from his eyes. 

“You are the crown prince of Edom, and you  _ will _ rule beside your father.” 

Asmodeus’ voice echoes harshly against the stone walls of the throne room and Magnus winces as he stands. 

He wants to protest again but he knows his father is more powerful than he could ever be. 

“Yes father,” he says, breathing in deeply through his nose and trying to ignore the throbbing pain in his back. He’s definitely going to have some nasty bruises. 

“Good,” Asmodeus says, softer this time, “I know you’ll make sure we don’t lose another transfer, my son.” 

The words are said with a sort of affection that makes Magnus sick to his stomach and when he looks back into his father’s eyes he sees a threat there.

Magnus knows that if another transfer goes missing he’s going to end up with a lot more than a couple bruises. 

***

Magnus stops at Cat’s room before he goes to rendezvous with the resistance. He usually shows up to congratulate them on a job well done and knows they’ll be wondering where he is. But he doesn’t want to go without getting rid of the bruises first.

Cat shakes her head when Magnus walks in, back curved in pain, and blows out a tired sigh. 

“Magnus,” she says sadly as she leads him to her bed and seats him down. Her eyes are brown and caring as she sweeps her gaze over his form and bites her lip. 

Magnus drops his head into his hands and sighs deeply while Cat removes his jacket and lifts up his shirt to look at the damage.

“It’s not that bad,” she comments softly, running gentle fingers over his spine, healing magic seeping into his skin and dulling the pain.

“Thank you,” Magnus murmurs, leaning into Cat’s touch when she puts down his shirt and sits next to him, wrapping an arm softly around his waist. 

“Father put me in charge of the transfers,” Magnus says after a long moment of silence. 

Magnus doesn’t know how he’s going to tell the resistance. How are they going to fight back if they can’t intercept the transfers? Was intercepting the transfers ever going to have been enough? 

Cat rubs his back soothingly. It calms Magnus’ racing thoughts and he lets out a long sigh. He silently thanks whatever had brought Catarina into Edom's royal court and thus into Magnus’ life. Sometimes she’s the only one who knows exactly what Magnus needs even if he himself doesn’t know. 

“And he threatened you?” She prompts softly. 

Magnus sighs into his hands and shakes his head.

“Not explicitly but I got the message loud and clear.” 

***

When Magnus finally gets the courage to face the resistance and tell them what happened he does so with his head held high.

Clary is sitting at a table outside of the Jade Wolf, head leaning back against her chair, eyes closed.

It’s late, almost the middle of the night, and her eyes are tired when she opens them to look at him.

She smiles that soft Clary smile at him, nose crinkling slightly, and he can’t help but smile back at her despite everything. Magnus reaches out to ruffle her hair, a rush of fondness rushing through him.

Clary rolls her eyes and ducks away from him.

“What took you so long?” She asks with a giggle, pushing away Magnus’ offending hand and pulling her hair tie out of her hair.

Magnus bites his lip and sighs. 

“Let’s go inside, I should tell everyone this at once.” 

Clary’s green eyes look up at him in concern and Magnus musters up a smile for her. She’s like his little sister in every way that counts and he wants to stay strong for her. 

She smiles back at him and takes his hand as they push open the door to find the resistance sitting at tables and chatting and laughing, no doubt celebrating Clary and Maia’s success.

Simon is sitting on the counter to the kitchen talking to Luke, and Raphael and Maia are in the middle of an intense conversation in one of the booths. 

Magnus doesn’t want to have to interrupt their celebration but if he doesn’t break the news now he won’t ever do it. And this is something they need to know. He tightens his grip on Clary’s hand as they walk further into the room and head towards the center table. The one they use to debrief and plan missions. 

Simon sees them first, grinning and hopping off the counter. 

“Magnus!” he calls, and the rest of their little group looks up.

They all move to meet Magnus at the table. Clary slides in next to him, Luke and Simon on the other side of the table and Maia and Raphael standing at the end.

Luke hands Magnus a glass of whiskey and grins, holding up his own beer.

“To another success,” he says, eyes bright and grin wide.

Magnus takes a sip of his drink before setting it softly down on the table. 

“Something happened,” he starts slowly and sighs to himself when the cheering abruptly stops and curious eyes turn to him. 

_ Well, it’s now or never.  _

“My father has put me in charge of the transfers.” 

No one says anything for a long drawn out moment. Magnus can feel his heart beating wildly in his chest. 

Simon finally breaks the silence and Magnus lets out a breath.

“Isn’t that a good thing? It makes intercepting the transfers so much easier.” 

Magnus shakes his head. He wishes it were that easy, but his father isn’t an idiot. He isn’t giving Magnus this job out of the goodness of his heart.

“My father knows I want nothing to do with him. He would only give me this job if he thought I was behind the missing supplies and knows this is a way to stop me from continuing.”

Luke is looking at Magnus with concern. He’s one of the few people who knows just how far Asmodeus will go with Magnus. 

“So we can’t keep intercepting the transfers,” Luke says, frowning when Magnus nods in confirmation.

“So what are we going to do?” Maia asks, arms crossed and features serious, “we can’t just give up.”

Magnus sighs. He’s been thinking about the answer to that exact question for the last couple of hours. 

“We need a new plan,” he pauses and turns to Clary, “and I think I might have an idea.” 


	2. Chapter II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec has a plan. So does Magnus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took a month but we’re finally back with an update lol. 
> 
> Enjoy!!

Alec isn’t able to sleep properly all night. Thoughts of the war and his parents and of Idris falling at the hands of Asmodeus plague his mind. 

He isn’t surprised when sunlight starts to peek in to his room through his curtains and he’s yet to have fallen asleep. 

He may not have slept, but he did come up with a plan. 

He’s jittery as he dresses in the red and black tunic that had been laid out for him the night before and slips his ring engraved with the Lightwood Royal Crest onto his ring finger. 

He’s supposed to give the ring to Lydia before the wedding as a symbol of their engagement but hasn’t been able to part with it just yet.

He runs a hand through his hair in lieu of brushing it and leaves the room with his mind still swirling.

He ends up in the hall near Isabelle’s room without consciously thinking about it. Isabelle has always been his confidant. The person he goes to when he feels like he’s in over his head or just needs some reassurance. It’s no wonder his troubled mind has directed him here. And besides, Izzy deserves to know about what he’d heard last night.

It’s still early but Alec doesn’t doubt Isabelle is awake, probably getting ready for a morning sparring session with Jace. They’re battle addicts, the two of them. 

He knocks on the door and Izzy has just pulled it open when Jace rounds the corner. Alec thinks quickly, grabbing Jace’s wrist and pulling him into the room and shutting the door firmly behind them. 

“Alec, what the hell?” Jace says, turning to give him a confused look. 

“I need to tell both of you something, but you can’t tell anyone.” 

Izzy, who has stepped backwards to let Alec and Jace into the room stares at him with wide calculating eyes. 

“What happened?” she asks, voice steady despite the obvious worry Alec can see reflected in her eyes. 

“It’s about the war,” Alec starts, watching as Jace sits up straighter, eyes lighting up in excitement. Izzy leans forward in anticipation as well. The two of them have always had a slightly unhealthy inclination towards battles and danger. It makes his job as the eldest just a little bit harder.

“Mother and Father don’t think Idris stands a chance. I heard them talking last night and they were talking about going back to the Circle.”

“ _ What?”  _ Izzy exclaims, rising to her feet and staring at Alec in open shock, “they can’t be serious. There has to be another way.”

Alec pauses his pacing in the center of the room, hesitating. He knows Jace and Izzy won’t like his plan but he’s already made up his mind. He has to protect his kingdom. It’s his  _ duty _ . 

“I have a plan,” he says, “If I can get into Edom undercover as part of the army I can try and take them down from the inside,” Alec explains quickly. 

Izzy is shaking her head before he’s even finished speaking.

“No, absolutely not,” she says, voice sharp and fingers clenched at her side. 

“I’ve made my decision. This is going to be my kingdom soon, it’s my  _ job  _ to protect it,” Alec argues. 

“Then we’re going with you,” Izzy says, stepping forward with her chin held high. Jace nods and stands as well. 

Jace and Izzy both look back at him with determined eyes. Alec knows they’d both follow him straight into Hell if he asked them to, but he needs to do this alone. He’d never be able to forgive himself if anything happened to them. 

“No- you need to stay here,” Alec argues, “I’m doing this for you- for our people- I don’t want anyone to die. And if-“ he cuts himself off abruptly and averts his eyes from his siblings’ cutting glares, “-if something happens to me you need to be here to run the kingdom.” 

Alec looks to Jace for support but Jace is looking back at him with a look of utter anguish that makes his stomach clench painfully. 

“Alec, that’s a suicide mission,” Jace says in a whisper, “you can’t go alone.” 

Alec lets out a frustrated breath and runs a hand through the hair at the back of his head. He hadn’t anticipated both his siblings looking at him like he’d somehow betrayed them when he told them his plan. He’s going to be King, they all know that he’s been taught to put this kingdom before himself.

“If there is a chance I can stop the destruction this war would bring then I have to try.”

“Not if it means getting yourself killed!” Izzy bursts out, and Alec is startled to find tears glistening in her eyes.

“Izzy,” Alec starts but his voice catches in his throat.

“Stop talking about this as if your life doesn’t matter,” she continues, barely a whisper but with anger alight in her eyes.

Alec wants to reach out and sooth her pain like he’s done every other time Izzy has been close to tears, but this is the first time it’s been because of  _ him _ .

“Iz,” he says softly, hand hovering between them uncertainly. Isabelle just shakes her head and takes his hand with dark desperate eyes.

“Promise you won’t go,” she says, squeezing his fingers tight, “we’ll figure something else out.” 

Alec flicks his gaze to Jace, heart dropping at the look of poorly concealed terror in his eyes and sighs.

He’s already made up his mind, but it’s tearing him apart to see Izzy and Jace so upset, so he turns back to Izzy and nods once. 

He’s never lied to them before. Not about something this important. 

***

Izzy is on edge for the rest of the day after her conversation with Alec. 

The terror at Alec going through with his plan and ending up hurt or even worse  _ dead _ had seized her fast, and she’d barely been able to speak through the dread that had pooled in her gut.

The fact that she doesn’t see Alec the whole day does nothing to quell the fear. 

The only thing keeping her from worrying that he’s gone through with his plan is the fact that he and Lydia are supposed to be overseeing wedding preparations. Surely someone would have realized he was missing by now if he’d gone. 

She goes through her duties for the day without really being present, stuck on the prospect of Alec going off on his own. 

She’s not even able to concentrate on sparring which is usually her favorite part of the day. 

“Iz, are you alright?” Jace asks, breathing hard as he holds out his hand to pull Izzy up from the floor. This is the third time Jace has knocked her onto the floor and she sighs instead of taking his hand.

She drops her head between her knees and feels Jace sit down beside her. 

“You’ve usually knocked me onto the ground at least once by now,” he says softly, bumping their shoulders and smiling when Izzy lifts her head to look at him.

His smile is lopsided and familiar, pulling further to the left than the right. It fills Izzy with warmth despite the poorly concealed tension she can see in his eyes.

She doesn’t know if it’s good or bad that she feels better knowing that Jace is just as worried as she is. 

“Do you think Idris will fall?” she asks quietly after a long moment of silence. 

Jace is only a year older than her but there are some moments when she feels impossibly young next to her older brothers. She  _ wants  _ Jace to reassure her that Idris would never fall. That their home would be safe. That  _ they  _ would be safe. Because then it would be easier to pretend she wasn’t scared.

Jace bites his lip and doesn’t say anything for a long moment. Izzy feels her shoulders fall slightly. 

“I don’t know Iz,” he says so softly that Izzy almost doesn’t hear it. When he looks back into her eyes she sees regret and pain.

He wants to tell he what she needs to hear but he can’t lie to her.

“Then we’re just going to have to fight like we never have before,” Izzy says, pulling on every ounce of determination she has left. She moves to lean her head onto Jace’s shoulder and Jace drops his cheek onto her head, wrapping an arm protectively around her shoulders.

“If Edom is coming for us, then we’re not about to go down without a fight.” 

***

That night, as Izzy is brushing her hair and getting ready for bed there’s a soft knock on her door. 

When she opens the door and sees Alec on the other side she lets out a breath of relief. Logically she knows Alec hadn’t gone anywhere, but actually seeing him in person and being able to confirm that has her sagging in relief. 

Max is standing next to him, his hand holding tightly to Alec’s. Max must have had a nightmare, he always ends up in Alec’s room when that happens.

“Max couldn’t sleep,” Alec explains, walking into the room with Max and smiling softly at Izzy, “I thought some sibling time might help.” 

As if on cue, Jace walks in the door with a grin. 

“I heard we were having some sibling bonding,” he says, dropping down onto the bed next to Max and tousling his hair playfully.

Max laughs and pushes Jace away from him with a dramatic eye roll.

“Hey, no fighting,” Alec chastises but he’s laughing as well and it’s not long before he’s being pulled into their little play fight on Izzy’s bed.

Izzy watches Max try and use Alec as a human shield while Jace complains about being outnumbered and can’t help but smile. 

It’s probably the most genuine smile she’s had all day. Having all of them here, safe and sound, makes the crushing weight of Alec’s plan and the looming war start to slowly sweep out of her. 

Once they’ve tired Max out enough that he falls asleep leaned against Alec, Izzy tucks him carefully into her bed. 

She smiles fondly at the way he curls up into a ball and presses his face into her pillow before going to join Jace and Alec where they’ve sprawled out on her carpet.

Jace is smirking at her when she makes herself comfortable next to Alec and she rolls her eyes at him.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Jace says, eyes alight with mischief, “just- remember how much you hated him when he was first born?” 

“I was 9 and he cried too much,” she crosses her arms and flicks her gaze to Alec who is watching their exchange with poorly concealed amusement, “and he stole Alec’s attention,” she admits. 

Alec turns to her with soft surprised eyes and Izzy can’t help but smile at him. She doesn’t understand how he doesn’t realize how much all of them look up to him. She, Jace, and Max have always vied for his attention and yet he’s never noticed just how important he is to them. 

He opens his arms for her now and she scoots closer so she can lean her head on his shoulder, feeling instantly safer. 

Jace comes to lean on Alec’s other side and the three of them end up talking about everything and nothing. From Alec’s soon to be wedding to the long list of Izzy’s suitors to Jace’s latest dalliance with one of the noble girls until the early hours of the morning. They carefully skirt the topic of the war and Izzy can see it’s deliberate from the way Alec’s eyes harden anytime they get close to the subject.

They fall asleep close to dawn, still on the floor and tangled up in one another.

It isn’t until Izzy wakes up the next morning to find only Jace and Max in her room and a note on her bedside table, that she realizes why Alec had gathered them all together last night. 

Izzy’s heart lurches in her chest as she reads the two devastating words scrawled in Alec’s familiar handwriting.

_ I’m sorry. _

***

Magnus sits with his head in his hands and Cat and Ragnor on either side of him as he recounts what his father had said to him.

“Magnus,” Ragnor says, much more gently then he normally would, “don’t you think continuing to do this is a bit risky?”

His eyes are worried as he looks down at Magnus and Magnus shifts uncomfortably under his gaze. He knows this is risky. But he can’t just stop. 

“Your father threatened you,” Cat adds and Magnus grimaces, the phantom bruises on his back that are long gone, throbbing at the memory.

“I  _ know  _ he threatened me,” Magnus bursts out, getting up and pacing the room angrily, “I was there.” 

Cat looks startled by his outburst and Magnus feels slightly guilty at how angrily his words had come out. He knows they’re only trying to help. That they’re worried because they care about him. 

“I’m sorry,” he says quietly, scrubbing a hand over his face and sighing, “but I can’t stop.”

Cat looks at him sadly and Magnus doesn’t dare look at Ragnor, afraid of the disappointment he’ll see in his eyes. 

“You don’t know what my father is trying to do,” Magnus says, staring unseeingly at the stained glass window on his far wall. 

He tries to shake away the memories of unknowingly helping his father with his plans. Translating ancient texts and finding ingredients. Learning how to wield a kind of magic that makes his insides crumble at just the thought. 

“My father, he- he wants to corrupt the world,” Magnus gets out, “he wants to rule a demon kingdom. A hell on earth.” 

Magnus shudders involuntarily at the thought and finally turns to look Ragnor in the eyes. 

“And I helped him figure out how to do it. I owe it to the world to try and stop him.”

***

Clary and Maia are walking back to the Jade Wolf after going out to get some fresh air when Clary stops in her tracks.

One of Asmodeus’ soldiers, dressed head to toe in Edom’s dark purple and silver gear grabs a little boy’s wrist and wretches him away from the other child he’s walking with. 

“Are you okay?” Maia asks, stopping next to Clary and looking at her in concern. 

Clary doesn’t answer. Her veins have gone white hot with anger and she’s starting forwards without thinking about it. 

Maia stays hot on her heels as Clary approaches the soldier who is now prying the small amount of money the boy had been carrying away from him. 

“Hey!” 

The soldier turns and it gives the boy enough time to slip out of his grasp. Clary does nothing to calm the anger swirling in her chest and she steps forwards to grabs the soldiers wrist before he can go after the kid. 

“Nuh uh,” she grits out, twisting his wrist back and up until he lets out a grunt of pain. 

When Clary turns she sees Maia, whose eyes are dark and angry as she stares at the soldier dead on. She’s pulled out her dagger and is watching him with danger in her brown eyes. 

Clary grew up with the resistance, she’s a good fighter but Luke hadn’t let her out on a mission until she was 16. Maia has been on her own since she was a kid. She’s fought to stay alive all her life and it makes her deadly in any fight. 

Clary quickly ducks out of the way as Maia lunges at the soldier and then stands quickly to grab him and keep him in place for her. 

The soldier tries to fight back, but Clary puts all her weight into holding him back and the sword he’d been carrying clatters to the ground when Maia slashes at his wrist.

Clary can’t help the maniacal laugh she lets out as she locks eyes with Maia who is grinning just as widely as Clary knows she probably is. There’s nothing more exhilarating than a good fight. Especially with someone who deserves it.

Clary grabs the sword off the ground and points it threateningly at the soldier. 

“Give back the money,” Maia demands, voice gruff and eyes flashing dangerously. 

The soldier just looks up at them with hatred in his eyes and gives them a haunting smile. Clary moves so the tip of the sword is touching his chests and glares. 

“ _ She said _ , give it back,” she grits out. 

The soldier just continues smiling and Clary feels anger shoot through her veins again. Before she can do anything about it, she hears thudding footsteps and looks up in alarm.

When Clary turns to look in the direction of the sound, she feels her heart sink in her chest when she sees at least a dozen of Edom’s soldiers coming their way. 

Maia puts a hand on Clary’s arm and tries to pull her away from where she’s still standing over the soldier.

“Clary, we have to go,” she hisses.

Clary resists the pull and stands her ground. 

“No, I’m not backing down from a fight,” Clary says, pressing the sword harder to the fallen soldier’s chest. 

“I’m angry too,” Maia says, eyes dark and serious, “but we have to leave. We can’t take on that many soldiers ourselves.”

Clary studies Maia, the way her eyes reflect the same anger Clary is feeling. She nods once and lets out a slow breath. 

Clary and Maia have been partners for missions every since Maia joined the resistance and Clary trusts her. Even if she doesn’t like backing down. 

It’s takes every ounce of strength for her to pull the sword away from the soldier and step back with Maia. 

They’ve both turned around, ready to flee when Maia surprises Clary by spinning on her heel and striding up to the soldier Clary left on the ground. She takes one swift step forward and punches him  _ hard _ , knocking him out cold. 

She shakes out her fists and then turns back to Clary who feels her lips quirk up into a smile.

“He deserved it,” Maia says simply, and then they run off into the night. 

***

When Clary and Maia slip into the Jade Wolf it’s to find Luke sitting at one of the tables with his arms crossed and expression stormy. The picture of an angry parent. 

“Where the hell have you been?” He asks, “there’s been an increase in soldiers around the town square. Something could have happened to you.” 

Clary winces and shares a look with Maia who bites her lip and nods. 

“I think that’s our fault,” Clary mutters and wrings her hands together. She could have just not said anything, but she doesn’t know how to lie to Luke. Maia steps closer to her for comfort and Clary sighs.

“We might have attacked one of the soldiers,” Maia tells him. Luke’s eyes widen and he stands up abruptly from his seat. 

“You did  _ what?  _  You can’t just do something like that without backup or a plan,” He says, voice straining in the way Clary knows it does when he’s trying to stay calm. 

“He tried to take money from a  _ child _ ,” Clary replies in defense, the anger over what she’d seen flooding back through her again just by thinking about it. “We’re the resistance. Isn’t it our  _ job _ to stop that from happening?”

Luke runs a hand over his face and Clary crosses her arms over her chest. She’s not backing down. It had been the right thing to do. 

“We’re trying not to get noticed,” Luke hisses, eyes dark. 

“To hell with that,” Maia exclaims, throwing her hands up, “we’re a resistance. The whole point of us existing is to be noticed!”

Luke’s eyes flash dangerously but Clary and Maia stand their ground. 

“No,  _ the point is  _ we want to end Asmodeus’ rule and we can’t do that if we’re  _ dead _ .”

The heavy weight of the last word hangs in the air between them and Clary feels herself freeze. The anger seeps quickly out of her. The words hit home, and she has to stamp down terrible memories of Luke gently telling her that he mother wasn’t coming back. 

She takes an involuntary step towards Luke and comes to a jerky stop in front of him. She sees now that his eyes are dark with worry, not anger. 

“I’m sorry,” she says quietly. 

“I need you to be safe,” Luke answers in a whisper, “I can’t lose either of you.” 

He pulls both Maia and Clary into a long hug and Clary has to hide her face in his chest to stop herself from crying. 

***

Magnus arrives at the Jade Wolf a few hours later and they all gather around their usual booth. 

Magnus sits down at the spot in front of Luke and Clay slides in beside him. 

He looks tired when she looks up at him. His eyes are dark and shadowed despite the makeup he’d applied to try and hide it and his movements are tense and sluggish rather than fluid like they usually are. 

“I have a plan,” he says. 

Raphael crosses his arms and rolls his eyes. 

“We know. You said that yesterday.” 

Magnus sends him a fondly exasperated look that Raphael returns with an eyebrow raise before continuing.

“It’s a crazy plan and I have no idea if it will work, but it’s all I could come up with.”

Simon glances at Clary before he looks at Magnus. 

“Crazy as in dangerous?” 

Magnus looks at each person in the room for a long second before he replies.

“Everything we do is dangerous. This particular plan is crazy because it involves us striking up an alliance with Idris.”

Luke, who has been uncharacteristically silent so far turns to Magnus in shock. 

“ _ What? _ ” He asks incredulously. 

“Idris is the only thing in the way of my father taking all of the Shadow World. If we can ally ourselves with Idris we can give them classified information about Edom’s battle plans that could help them defeat my father. In turn we could feed my father incorrect information about Idris’ advances.”

Clary watches Magnus as he conveys his plan. He looks more sure than he had when he walked in but Clary is hesitant. It’s a good plan, it could even work if they could pull it off. Except for one problem.

“How the hell are we supposed to get anyone in Idris to trust us?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Malec’s finally going to be in the same place. I wonder what this could mean?? 
> 
> Good news!! I’m on break, so hopefully the next update won’t take as long!! 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Comments and Kudos are always appreciated!!
> 
> Come talk to me!   
> Tumblr: [lightwormsiblings](https://lightwormsiblings.tumblr.com)  
> Twitter: [alistoney1](https://mobile.twitter.com/alistoney1)


	3. Chapter III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes you’re in the right place at the right time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve decided to actually create a hashtag for this fic because why not? So you can use #rtwfadfic to talk about this fic on Twitter if you want <3

Izzy is still holding the note between trembling fingers when Jace wakes up.

“Izzy?” He asks, his voice rough from sleep. Izzy barely notices it over the frantic beating of her heart loud and fast in her ears.

“Iz, are you okay?” Jace asks when she doesn’t answer. He’s standing next to her now and when she tears her eyes away from the note to look at him she sees his eyes are soft and concerned.

“He’s gone,” Izzy tells him hoarsely. Her voice is scratchy, she’s surprised anything even came out with how dry her throat has gone.

“What do you mean?” Jace asks carefully. His voice is still soft but an edge of panic has creeped into it. 

Izzy just drops the note into his hand and clenches her own fists to stop herself from crying.

Jace’s voice is shaky when he speaks again.

“He promised he wouldn’t.”

Izzy can’t look at him, doesn’t want to see the pain in his eyes that she knows will be reflected in her own. Anger bursts uninhibited into her chest. At who she doesn’t know. At Alec for thinking he needs to single handedly save a kingdom, at herself for believing her protective older brother would let it go. At her parents for drilling it into him that his life will never be as important as protecting the kingdom.

She feels herself slowly losing control with every thought and storms out of the room without thinking about where she’s going.

She ends up bursting into the throne room, breathing hard. Her parents are seated in the gold thrones at the front of the room and they stand in concern when they see her. 

“Isabelle,” he mother says, “why aren’t you dressed?” 

The anger flares up in her. All they care about is their image. They don’t care that she’s obviously distraught, probably don’t even care that they’ve driven their son to go on a suicide mission, all they care about is that she isn’t _dressed_.  

She startles when she finds that Jace has ended up at her side and when she looks at him she sees that the note is still fisted in his palm. 

“Jace,” Robert says in confusion, looking from Izzy to Jace and then back again.

The two of them stand there facing their parents in silence. Izzy can’t calm her breathing enough to say what she wants to say. It’s probably for the best though because all she wants to do is yell at them.

“Alec is gone,” Jace says for Izzy, moving to grip her arm tightly. The feeling grounds her and she allows herself to take a deep calming breath.

“He went undercover to Edom, to stop this war. Because _you_ gave up. Because you were going to resort to the Circle,” Izzy says, finally being able to catch her breath with Jace’s support.

She steps closer so that she’s at eye level with her parents.

“Because you drilled it into him that he didn’t matter as long as the kingdom was safe. And now he’s probably going to _die._ ” Izzy’s voice breaks on the word and she watches the way her mother takes a startled step backwards, horror in her eyes. Izzy can’t find it in herself to feel sorry for her.

Izzy stands, breathing hard after her outburst. She’s never spoken back to her parents, let alone yelled in their faces while on the verge of tears.

Even Jace looks surprised where he’s standing, holding the note in one hand, the other still reached out beside him where he’d been holding onto Izzy’s arm a moment earlier.

There’s a long moment of tense silence before her father speaks.

“Alec’s duty is to his people first and foremost. This plan to take Edom down from the inside could work,” he says without meeting Izzy’s eyes.

Another surge of rage rips through her and she opens her mouth to argue but Jace beats her to it. 

“Do you even _care_ about him?” he asks, voice colder than Izzy has ever heard it. He moves to come stand by Izzy again and she wraps her hand around his for comfort. At least she isn’t on her own against their parents

Maryse looks between the two of them for a moment before she sighs deeply.

“There’s nothing we can do. Interfering now would only give him away in enemy territory and that is much more dangerous.”

Jace’s shoulders slump and Izzy watches as her parents exchange a long look.

“Isabelle I’m sorry-“ her mother starts, reaching out a hand towards her but Izzy doesn’t wait to hear what she has to say, instead turning on her heel and storming out of the room.

She doesn’t realize her hand is still in Jace’s until they’re halfway down the hall and she looks down to find she’s holding onto him tightly. 

When she stops to look up into Jace’s eyes she feels something in her break at the amount of sadness she sees there. Tears spring to her eyes without her permission and Jace gathers her into his arms without a word.

She grabs hard onto the front of his shirt and sobs into his chest, his hand cupping the back of her head soothingly and the other around her waist holding her up.

“Shh, Izzy, Iz, it’s going to be okay. Isabelle-“

His voice is soft as he murmurs into the top of her head but he can’t hide the hopelessness that bleeds into his voice.

Izzy knows he’s lying.

It’s not going to be okay.

***

Once Izzy has calmed down enough that Jace thinks it’s okay to leave her alone she hides herself in her room.

After sitting on the floor and staring unseeingly at the last spot she had seen Alec for who knows how long, she heaves herself off of the floor and to her closet.

She quickly puts on battle gear and starts pulling out all the books she has on Edom and piling them on her bed. 

If her parents aren’t going to go help Alec then she’s just going to have to go do it alone.

She’s so focused on looking through the books that she doesn’t hear the knock on her door or Lydia slipping in quietly.

“Isabelle,” she says quietly and Izzy drops the book she’s holding with a curse.

She turns around and tries to paste a smile onto her face but she’s not sure she succeeds given the way Lydia looks back at her with sad blue eyes.

“I heard about Alec,” she says quietly, not quite meeting Izzy’s eyes, “I’m sorry.”

Izzy has to bite her lip to stop herself from crying again and turns back to face the bed so Lydia doesn’t see the way she knows her face crumples at the words.

She doesn’t turn around again even when Lydia moves closer and looks over her shoulder at the bed.

Izzy feels Lydia tense behind her and she chances a gland over her shoulder to see Lydia’s eyes wide and worried.

“You’re going after him,” she breathes quietly.

She says it as a statement, not like she’s going to try and stop her so Izzy lets her guard down. She turns and looks up to meet Lydia’s eyes.

“No one else in this castle gives a damn that my brother could die so I’m taking matters into my own hands,” she says determidly and lifts her chin, daring Lydia to argue.

Lydia’s eyes have gone soft at Izzy’s admission  and Izzy stares back at her in confusion.

“Isabelle,” Lydia says in a voice so soft that Izzy can’t look away, “you are not alone,” she goes on vehemently, “I know Jace cares,” she pauses and searches Izzy’s eyes for a long moment, “and so do I.”

  
Izzy tries to swallow past the lump oh her throat and holds back a sob when Lydia takes her hand between her own.

Lydia’s fingers are warm over hers as she runs them soothingly over Izzy’s and she looks up at Izzy through her eyelashes with a small smile.

“I know you want to keep Alec safe. But if you leave and something happens to you what will happen to Idris? To your family? To Max and Jace? Your _brothers_. What happens when Jace finds out you left and blames himself? What happens when there’s no one to inherit the throne except your 10 year old brother?”  

Izzy freezes at the thought of leaving the weight of inheriting the kingdom on Max’s shoulders at such a young age. She’d seen what that had done to Alec. How the responsibility had weighed down on him like a dark cloud. She could never wish that on Max.

“We need you _here_.” Lydia says, her hands still moving soothingly over Izzy’s and her eyes are wide and open, “Alec would want you to keep them safe and you know it.”

Izzy doesn’t cry but it’s a near thing.

***

Alec’s heart beats fast in his chest as the Idris Edom border starts to come into view just as the sun is  rising over the horizon.

Alec stops his men at the edge of the woods and turns to give orders. He’d brought a small group with him to the border to help him slip past the guards but after that he’d be on his own. He doesn’t know if he’s going to be able to pull this off but he can’t let them know that.

He looks each man in the eyes before he speaks. They’re all wearing old ratted clothing rather than Idris’ red and gold so that they aren’t picked out as easily.

“We’re going to have to be careful, the border is crawling with Edom’s border guards,” Alec says, fighting to keep the fear out of his voice as he keeps his head high, “I’ve done some research and the West most portion of the border is the least guarded because of the harsh terrain around the area. That’s our best chance.”

The men nod and they start to make their way towards the western part of the border, Alec in the lead.

They have barely taken two steps when an arrow sails past Alec’s head and lodges itself into one of his men’s shoulders.

Alec is ducking and knocking an arrow into his bow before even thinking about it. He lets it fly in the direction the other arrow came from and hears the sound of his men unsheathing their weapons around him.

He lets out a shaky breath when he looks in the direction he’d released his arrow and finds dozens of Edom soldiers moving in on them.

Alec’s heart drops in his chest when Raj steps closer to him and speaks.

“We’re surrounded,Your Highness” he says quietly.

Alec’s heart is beating a million times a minute. He’d known this was most likely a suicide mission but now that he’ actually facing that, he can’t seem to think straight. He’s this close, he can’t back out now.

“Stay close,” he tells his men, “we’re going to fight.”

Alec slides into position as his men make a tight circle, back to back.

Alec doesn’t wait for the soldiers to make it close enough for a fight before he starts letting arrows fly.

He breathes in through his nose to try and calm himself and counts as he takes soldiers down.

He gets 4 down before they advance on them and Alec has to take out his own blade to fight close range.

Alec stops the first sweep of a sword aimed at his shoulder with his own and grits his teeth as he pushes it back and away, kicking the soldier in the chest as he does so.

The soldier stumbles backwards. Ashdown slashes at his chest and he crumbles to the ground.

Alec nods at him in thanks but doesn’t have time to bask in the victory because he’s hit hard from behind and knocked to the ground. 

It takes him a second to catch his breath and when he manages to stand its to the sight of Raj being stabbed in the side and falling to the ground.

Alec’s eyes stay stuck on the blood that seeps into his clothes and the lifeless look in Raj’s eyes as he falls to his knees.

Alec brought him here. And now he’s dead.

He can feel bile ride up into his throat as he rolls out of the way of a sword that almost hits him in the chest.

He’s breath is shallow as he stands and blocks another blow with his sword.

People keep falling all around him. _His men_. People he lead to their deaths.

He can barely think past the panic in his chest and the soldiers just keep coming no matter how many they get rid of. Alec feels helpless as he watches the last of his small group fall to the ground, lifeless. 

He doesn’t know how long he’s going to last and the thought of joining his men on the blood drenched floor makes his veins turn to ice. He’s got a deep gash down the length of his arm and blood dripping down his face from a cut on his cheek and he’s the only one left.

“Too easy,” one of the soldiers laughs as he advances towards Alec.

Alec glares and brings his sword up to fight, ignoring the searing pain that shoots up his arm as he does so.

It’s no use though, there’s too many of them and the sword is knocked out of Alec’s hand before he can inflict any damage.

Another soldier behind him grabs his arm, yanking it backwards and Alec lets out a cry of pain as he hears a snap and his vision goes dark for a second.

His right arm. The one he uses with his bow. He cradles the arm close to his chest and blinks back the tears in his eyes.

There’s too many of them for him to fight off himself. He doesn’t have any backup and he’s severely injured.

If he’s going to die he isn’t about to go down without a fight.

When his vision clears he stands tall and raises his head high as he looks at the soldiers.

“Giving up?” the soldier in front of him asks with a wicked grin.

Anger alights bright in Alec’s chest and he pushes the overwhelming pain from his broken arm down as he advances towards the soldiers.

“Not a chance,” he grits out before using his good arm to land a punch in the soldiers face.

The soldier jerks back in surprise and falls to his knees. Alec takes the moment of surprise to take down the soldier behind him and reach for his sword that’s laying on the ground.

He’s stopped halfway towards the sword by a kick in the back that sends him face first into the ground.

It knocks the breath out of him and he doesn’t have time to recover before the other soldier has picked him up by the shirt and slammed his fist into his face hard enough that Alec tastes blood in his his mouth and sees stars.

His vision is still blurry and he can’t really think straight but Alec manages to knee the soldier and twist away from his grasp, spitting the blood out of his mouth and rocking dangerously on his feet.

He doesn’t know how much longer he’s going to last like this. The world is already spinning and his head is pounding so hard he just wants to curl up on the ground and hide.

It’s why he doesn’t put up much of a fight as he’s grabbed from behind and he feels the sharp sting of a blade make its way into his gut.

The pain is sharp and sends fire up his nerves. All the pain zeros into his left side and he falls to his knees with a sad thump.

He lets out a breath and closes his eyes so he doesn’t have to see the soldier staring triumphantly down at him. Instead he imagines his siblings’ sleeping faces where he’s last left them in Izzy’s room.

Jace’s hair falling over his eyes and face smushed against his hands, Izzy’s lips pulled into a small content smile in her sleep, Max’s soft snores.

He wants that to be the last thing he sees.

His eyes fly open when he hears a commanding voice yell something at the soldiers but his vision is so spotty that he can only make out a flash of sparkling blue and the glint of something silver before the darkness takes over.

***

Magnus wouldn’t have noticed the commotion at the border if he hadn’t decided to walk the long way back to the castle to clear his head after staying the night at the Jade Wolf.

As he makes his way closer he sees what can only be described as a bloodbath. There’s lifeless bodies sprawled all along the blood soaked gravel. Both Edom Soldiers as well as regular peasants in ratty clothing.

What had they done to set off the border guards?

He’s startled to see that one of the people is actually still alive, holding his own against the onslaught of soldiers.

He’s bloody, looks almost dead on his feet, and is cradling his right arm close to his chest. But he’s alive nonetheless.

Magnus starts moving towards the fight without consciously thinking about it.

His eyes widen when he sees one of the shoulders stab the man in the side and he falls to his knees.

The soldier pulls out the sword and raises it again to land another blow but Magnus speeds into a run.

“Stop!” He booms, magic crackling dangerously from his hands and the soldiers stop in their tracks.

The man has fallen to the floor, eyes closed and unmoving. Probably dead. 

Magnus is too late.

“Your Highness,” the soldier holding the blood slicked sword says, nodding at Magnus and stepping away from the man’s body.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Magnus asks, voice threatening as he stares impassively at the soldiers.

“They tried to cross the border,” one of them tries to say but Magnus sparks his magic in his hand and they shrink back in fear.

“You do _not_ , attack unless expressly told to do so. Do you understand me?” He asks lowly, taking a threatening step towards the soldiers and letting his hand stay engulfed in magic.

He’s not going to do anything with the magic but it works to scare the soldiers. Magnus is powerful and they know it. His father made sure that was something everyone in Edom knew.

“I’ll take care of this,” he says and lets himself smile slightly as they nod and scurry away.

He drops to his knees next to the fallen men and moves to check if any of them are still alive.

He quickly starts to lose hope as he goes from person to person and finds nothing. Until he makes it to the last one he’d seen standing. His cheek has started purpling, his arm is definitely broken, and the wound in his side has drenched his whole left side with blood but when Magnus moves his fingers to his neck the skin is still warm and he finds the light thump of a barely there pulse.

He’s still alive, but barely.  

Magnus moves to pick him up, trying to avoid touching the gash in his side and draping his left hand over his neck.

The movement causes the sunlight to glint off of something on his finger and when Magnus looks closer he sees that it’s a ring.

He freezes when he sees what exactly is engraved into the ring. A lone L with flames etched around it.

The Lightwood Family Royal Crest.

Magnus has Idris’ crown prince dying in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dunnn what happens now?? No one knows (Well except me I guess) 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!! Comments and Kudos feed my soul
> 
> Come talk to me!  
> Tumblr: [lightwormsiblings](https://lightwormsiblings.tumblr.com)  
> Twitter: [alistoney1](https://mobile.twitter.com/alistoney1)


	4. Chapter IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edom welcomes Alec (sort of)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to update. I hit some writers block in the middle of writing this chapter and had to taken break from it but I’m back and I hope you like this chapter!
> 
> Thank you to the best beta [zahrabane](https://archiveofourown.org/users/zahrabane/pseuds/zahrabane) who helped dig me out of my overthinking and writers block ily.
> 
> I’m using the tag #rtwfadfic for this fic on Twitter so you can use that if you like!!

Alec wakes slowly, wincing at the pounding in his head as he blinks his eyes open and shrinks away from the harsh light. He groans quietly as he tries to move and finds that his whole body feels sore.

_What had happened?_

He looks around to find he’s lying in a bed in an unfamiliar room. It’s small but the art on the walls and paints sprawled across the side table give it a lived in feeling.

Alec sits up slowly, startling when the door creaks open and a man walks in.

“Ah, welcome back to the land of the living,” the man says with a warm voice. He smiles at Alec and Alec can’t help but stare back.

Because this man is _beautiful_.

He’s wearing a dark purple shirt that looks like it’s made of silk and is only really buttoned up halfway. The other half of his chest is draped with an array of necklaces that leave Alec’s gaze stuck on his smooth skin with wide eyes.

When Alec finally looks up to his face he’s startled to find the man looking back at him with dark serious eyes. They’re beautiful and warm as they watch Alec. He looks like an angel

“Am I dead?” Alec blurts out without thinking.

The man smiles amusedly at Alec and it seems to brighten his eyes in a way that has Alec smiling back at him without thought.

“I most certainly hope not,” he says with a wry smile as he clasps his hands together and takes a step closer to the bed Alec is sitting up in, “not when I just spent a good 2 hours healing you.”

Alec feels his brows furrow in confusion as he registers the words.

“Healing me-“ Alec’s words die on his tongue as the memories of the fight at the border rush back to him. His arm had been broken. He’d been _stabbed_. He looks down and sees that almost all his injuries are almost faded or completely gone. His arm still throbs a bit but the gash from the sword was gone and all the bruising was nowhere to be seen.

But that’s not possible, it should take weeks for those wounds to heal, the stab wound should have been _fatal_. Unless-

“You used _magic_ on me?” he says, sitting up straighter in panic and staring at the man with newfound suspicion.

“I didn’t have a choice,” the man says, taking another step towards the bed and Alec shrinks away in fear.

“Are you going to kill me?” he asks, muscles ready to spring out of the bed and into action.

The man just rolls his eyes and presses his lips together.

“Again, that would be counterproductive, seeing as I saved your life,” he reiterates even as Alec continues to stare back at him suspiciously.

The man doesn’t seem to be affected by Alec’s suspicion, instead he sets a glass of some green liquid onto the bedside table and raises his eyebrows.

“I’d consider drinking that because you’ll definitely be in pain in a few hours if you don’t,” he says calmly.

Alec stares a second to look at the concoction and cringes internally at the thought of putting it into his body.

“Magic is forbidden it’s-it’s _evil_ ,” he blurts out and this time the man actually laughs.

When he turns back to look at Alec his eyes hold something darker than they had earlier.

“Maybe in Idris it is,” the man says with a smile that doesn’t hold any humor, “but lucky for us, _we_ are in Edom.”

Alec’s eyes widen as he makes the connection. He’s in enemy territory. This magical being, or whatever he is, knows Alec is from Idris.

Alec can’t stamp down the fear that grips at his chest like a vice.

“I’m not from Idris” he says, voice shaking as he makes a last ditch attempt at his cover story, hoping he sounds believable, “I wanted to join the army-“

The man lifts two fingers up, rings glinting in the light as he does and Alec stops in the middle of his sentence.

“Hush, I know you're Idris’ crown prince. Might want to hide that Lightwood ring next time you try and go undercover.”

Alec feels his blood go cold and he moves to run his fingers over the ring on his left hand. He hadn’t known anyone in Edom would have been able to recognise the crest. _God_ he was stupid. He waits with bated breath for the other shoe to drop.

He’s been found out, and there’s no way he can get out of this unharmed.

“Calm down,” the man says, and his voice has gone soft again, “I’m not going to hurt you.”

Alec wants to believe him, but he can’t. This man is from Edom and he _knows_ Alec is the enemy. Why wouldn’t he try and get rid of Alec?

“If you know I’m the prince then why aren’t you killing me?” Alec asks softly, fighting hard to make sure his voice doesn’t shake.

The man just shrugs and smiles brightly in the way that makes his eyes sparkle.

“Because I’m not a murderer?” he says, rocking back onto his heels and then biting his lip and looking at Alec from under his eyelashes, “Because you’re pretty?”

Alec startles and has to dunk his head to hide the way his cheeks go warm at the comment.

The man seems to notice anyway because he’s looking at Alec with amusement and a hint of satisfaction when Alec raises his head.

“There’s many reasons, Your Highness,” he says and winks in Alec’s direction before picking up the glass of the disgusting looking liquid and holding it out to him.

“Drink up.”

Alec stares at the concoction and then at the man. Somehow the airy flitation has seemed to calm the panic that was starting to grow in Alec’s chest.

“You know,” he says, tilting his head and raising an eyebrow, “it would be pretty stupid of me to drink something that a man whose name I don’t even know is giving me.”

The man laughs again and sets the drink back down on the bedside table.

“You make a good argument,” he leans against the bedside table and crosses his arms, looking down at Alec as he does so, “I’m Magnus.”

“Magnus,” Alec says slowly, testing the name out in his mouth and then looking back up. Yes, the man definitely looks like a Magnus. Beautiful, dangerous, and Great.

“Alec.”

Magnus nods, eyes moving to Alec’s hand and landing on the ring that he’s been twisting around his finger absentmindedly.

“Alec Lightwood,” he states, eyes not leaving the ring, “short for Alexander I presume?”

Alec just nods, stuck on the way Magnus looks lost in thought as he stares at the ring. He moves his hand under the blanket and it causes Magnus to break out of whatever thoughts had been running through his head.

He shakes his head slightly and claps his hands, “so, now that introductions are out of the way, are you going to drink the potion?”

Alec grimaces at the glass before he turns back to Magnus and shakes his head vehemently.

“Not a chance in hell.”

Magnus’ eyes light up wickedly and he runs his tongue slowly over his teeth in a way Alec should absolutely not find attractive but does anyway.

“Your choice,” he sing-songs as he turns around and makes his way to the door. He stops halfway through the door, a hand delicately placed on the doorway and looks over his shoulder with a knowing smirk, “just know, you’ll regret it.”

***

Clary is leaning backwards haphazardly in her chair when she hears the rustling of sheets and drops the chair legs back to the ground.

Alec stirs in his sleep and then blinks his eyes open. Clary watches in interest as his eyes wander the room slowly before he sits up abruptly.

“Ouch,” he groans and Clary raises an eyebrow as he moves a hand to his left side and curls in on himself.

She flicks her gaze to the bedside table to find an untouched healing potion sitting there.

She rolls her eyes. Of course he was stubborn and refused to drink it.

“You didn’t drink the potion,” she states, crossing her arms and staring the prince down.

He flicks his eyes to the bedside table and groans quietly in pain. Clary refuses to feel bad for him; it’s his fault for not taking the potion.

“It’s, _magic,_ ” he says quietly as if that is an explanation as to why he’d rather be in pain.

“And?”

Clary raises an eyebrow and picks up the potion, handing it to him and waiting with her hands on her hips.

Magnus had told her to make sure he’d drank it. Why did he always give her the worst jobs?

Alec just holds the potion in his hands and looks back at her with annoyed eyes. 

He’s stubborn. It’s a good thing Clary is stubborn too.

“I’m not going to leave until you drink it,” she tells him with a sigh.

He looks back at her with narrowed eyes before he sits up further in the bed, wincing slightly as he does. Clary smiles slightly to herself in victory but Alec doesn’t start drinking the potion.

“Where’s Magnus?” he asks instead and Clary lets out a frustrated breath. _So close._

“He had stuff to do, left me in charge of the patient,” she says offhandedly and then tilts her head when Alec actually seems to be disappointed at Magnus’ absence.

_Hmmm._

“Magnus told me to make sure you drank the potion,” she says, watching carefully as Alec’s eyes flick to the potion and then back to Clary consideringly.

After a few long moments he sighs and nods.

“Fine.”

He brings the glass to his lips and throws the whole thing back in one go. He grimaces and shudders when he’s done and Clary can’t help but laugh at the look on his face.

“That was disgusting,” he tells her with feeling as he places the now empty glass down again.

Clary just shakes her head and rolls her eyes.

“So you trust Magnus but not me?” she asks, raising her eyebrows as Alec’s cheeks go red and he splutters unconvincingly.

At least it is good to know Magnus isn’t the only one who has a soft spot for a person he’s barely met.

“Anyway, now that I’ve succeeded at my job, I’ll leave you to Luke’s care.”

“Luke?” Alec asks with questioning eyes. Clary can tell he’s already starting to feel better from the way he seems more alert and is moving more smoothly than he had been.

“My step father,” Clary clarifies, “Magnus actually left you in his care but we decided it would be better for you to wake up to someone who doesn’t have some kind of magic, seeing as you’ve kind of never been around it.”

“Why don’t you have magic?” Alec asks softly. His eyes are wide now.

Clary hesitates as she looks back at him. He probably won’t be her biggest fan if she tells him. She’s talked to him for a grand total of five minutes. How does she even know if she can trust him?

Magnus trusts him for some godforsaken reason though, so Clary sighs and leans back into her chair.

It’s not like she cares what he thinks about her.

“Because I’m from Idris. Like you,” she waits for the words to sink in. Alec’s eyes widen in surprise and he sits up straighter.

“Why are you in Edom? Are you a spy-“

Clary cuts him off with a shake of her head.

“I’ve never actually been to Idris. My parents were from Idris,” when Alec just looks confused Clary sighs in resignation. She’s gotten this far, she might as well tell him, “My name is Clary Fairchild. But you’d probably recognize me as Clary Morgenstern.”

As she’d predicted, Alec’s eyes go wide in shock before they lock with hers. The hazel of his eyes is darker than it had been a few moments ago but Clary stares back at him with her chin held high. She knows what her father did and she knows that she’s nothing like him.

“You’re Valentine’s daughter,” Alec says quietly.

Clary shrugs her shoulders and sends him a wry smile.

“The one and only.”

Alec seems to see Clary in a whole new light now as he sits up straighter in the bed and leans towards her with wide eyes.

“But how-“

Clary sighs internally as she launches into the story Luke has told her multiple time.

“After Valentine failed in Idris, he came to Edom to try and unite the kingdoms that way.”

Alec eyes flash with anger and Clary sees him clench his jaw before he speaks.

“Your father _ruined_ Idris. All that dark magic took years to recover from,” he shakes his head and Clary tries to calm the anger that starts to boil in his veins at the way Alec is looking at her now, “And Jocelyn, she was his right hand man. She was no better than he was.”

Clary stands again, not even bothering to try and stop the anger from exploding out of her. Yes, her father was a terrible person who only wanted to unite the kingdoms so that he could control all of the magic users in the Shadow World, but her mother was nothing like him.

She grits her teeth, leaning in close to Alec with fire in her eyes, “My mother tried to take Valentine down as soon as she found out he’d delved into dark magic. Don’t talk about her like you know her,” she takes a long steadying breath but doesn’t break eye contact with Alec as she speaks. “My mother was a good woman. She _died_ trying to save Edom from what it’s become,” her voice is wavering with anger now but she can’t stop the words from tumbling out of her at this point, “Valentine is _not_ my father. The only thing that connects us is blood. Luke is my father in every way that counts. _Edom_ is my home,” she pauses to blink away angry tears and turns around so Alec won’t see them, “But I wouldn’t expect you to understand-“

She’s cut off as the door swings open and Luke pokes his head in. His eyes look worried. As if he’d been standing outside and had heard Clary start yelling.

He looks between Clary and Alec a long moment. Tension is sharp in the air and Clary holds her breath.

“How’s the patient?” Luke finally asks softly, apparently choosing to ignore the argument he’d walked in on.

“Fine,” Clary answers shortly before she turns and walks out of the room.

***

“What do we do about him?”

Magnus sighs and rests his head on his hand tiredly.

“I don’t know,” he answers looking up at Luke to find him frowning to himself.

The Alec problem is one that Magnus had not been expecting. The resistance was no stranger to taking in strays and people who needed help. But they’d never taken in a _prince_. A prince of a kingdom Edom is due to attack in the near future at that.  

Magnus is at a loss. It isn’t like they can get him back to Idris without getting caught and he is still too injured to get him across the border even if they could distract the guards long enough.

“We don’t even know if we can trust him,” Luke says quietly, not meeting Magnus’ eyes. Somehow he knows that Magnus feels more attached to Alec than he should be, given the fact that they’ve only had one conversation.

Saving someone’s life has that effect sometimes.

“I know we can’t trust him but he’s from Idris, he wants the same thing as we do,” Magnus argues, “he wants to end my father’s rule.”

“So what? You want to tell him that we’re a resistance? That’s a terrible idea, we have no idea who he could give that information to. We know nothing about him,” Luke answers, throwing his hands up in frustration.

Magnus feels his own frustration starting to rise up into his chest and he sighs again, “No, I’m not _stupid_. I know that we know next to nothing about him. But if we let him stay, maybe we can find out if he’s worth trusting. I know it would be on your conscience if you made him go.” Magnus says, knowingly going for Luke’s weak spot. He’s not proud of it, but for some reason sending Alec away just doesn’t sit right in Magnus’ chest.

Luke runs a hand over this face before he locks eyes with Magnus. His eyes are dark in the dim light from the Jade Wolf and Magnus can see the worry that he’s trying to conceal.

“Okay,” he nods with a wry smile, patting Magnus’ shoulder in a comforting gesture. Magnus smiles back gratefully.

They’re interrupted from saying anything more, when Alec shuffles into the room.

He’s wearing what looks like one of Simon’s shirts and a dark pair of jeans that Magnus also suspects are Simon’s from the way that they don’t quite make it to Alec’s ankles. Magnus is going to need to conjure him up some clothes of his own size at some point.

“Hi,” Alec says sheepishly and Magnus can’t help but smile slightly at the way he ducks his head and walks over to where he and Luke are sitting at their usual booth.

“Hey,” Magnus says, standing up from the booth without thinking about it.

Alec seems to be walking fine but he still cradles his arm to his chest and is favoring his left side. Good, but not great. Magnus pats himself on the back for even getting him back on his feet in only a few days.

“How are you feeling?” He asks, searching Alec’s face for any signs of pain.

“Better after I drank that terrible tasting potion,” Alec answers, shuddering to himself.

Magnus can’t help but laugh slightly at the way his lips turn down into a grimace. He’s cute and Magnus might be just a little bit charmed by him.

“Next time you almost die, I’ll make sure to let you stay in pain then,” he says, rolling his eyes playfully.

It takes Alec a second to realize he’s joking and then he’s smiling a soft smile that grips tight onto something in Magnus’ chest.

After a moment, Magnus sees the smile slip from his lips and he flicks his gaze away from Magnus.

“Did- was there anyone else-“

Magnus breathes out a slow breath and steels himself. He glances at Luke before he places a hand on Alec’s elbow.

“Let’s go for a walk, if you’re up for it.”

Alec nods slowly, “Okay.”

The walk is a silent one. Magnus would usually try to strike up a conversation but Alec looks to be stuck deep in his thoughts. His eyes are hazy and unseeing as they walk down the dirt path behind The Jade Wolf and into a clearing.

Magnus wonders for a fleeting moment whether it’s a bit too early to be doing this.

They stand on the edge of the clearing and Magnus watches Alec quietly as he slowly realizes where they are.

The stones are lined up in neat rows in the dirt and the number of them always clenches at Magnus’ heart every time he sets foot here. So many people they’ve lost.

“Why are we in a graveyard?” Alec asks quietly, voice hoarse and eyes sad when he turns to look at Magnus. Magnus has a feeling he knows why.

“The people you came with,” Magnus starts, averting his gaze when he sees the anguish in Alec’s eyes, “Luke and his son, Simon, brought them here. We thought they should be buried properly.”

When Magnus looks back into Alec’s eyes he’s startled to find them glassy.

He looks away quickly and Magnus can see him blinking quickly while he stares hard at the ground.

Magnus keeps talking to fill the heavy silence that fills the air, even though it’s probably not the best idea.

“We didn’t know their names so the headstones are blank but you can carve them in,” he snaps and summons a pocket knife into his hand. Alec takes a step backwards at the sudden burst of magic, “or I can use magic to-“ Magnus trails off as Alec moves forwards and takes the knife. Magnus watches with a heavy heart as he walks towards the unmarked headstones.

His heart clenches for this man he barely knows, as Alec drops to his knees next to the graves and whispers a quiet apology into the ground.

Magnus notices the defeated line of his back and decides this is something Alec might want to do alone. He goes to sit by Jocelyn’s grave,  leaving Alec to himself.

He runs his fingers over the top of the headstone, smiling at the fresh flowers that Clary had probably brought earlier in the day, and thinks about Alexander Lightwood.

Alexander Lightwood, the crown prince of Idris who actually gives a damn about leading his people to their deaths.

A prince who shows genuine regret for lives lost and is willing to run headfirst into enemy lines for his kingdom.

The kind of leader a kingdom _needs_.

The kind of person who might just want to help the resistance take Asmodeus down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! 
> 
> Comments and Kudos are appreciated!
> 
> Tumblr: [lightwormsiblings](https://lightwormsiblings.tumblr.com)  
> Twitter: [alistoney1](https://mobile.twitter.com/alistoney1)


	5. Chapter V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec learns, Magnus fights, and Izzy searches

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the wait. I hope the longer chapter makes up for it. 
> 
> I really put my all into this chapter so I really hope you enjoy. zahrabane’s reaction when she was betaing was: _I'm actually a mess rn beta down_  
>  so that gives you an idea of what you’re in for haha. Enjoy!!! 
> 
> #rtwfadfic on twitter if you want to live tweet or talk about the chapter <3

Alec wakes up alone. 

His heart is beating fast in his chest and he can feel sweat drying on his skin. He breathes out slowly as the remnants of flashes of blood and pain that had woken him up spin in his head. The image of Raj falling to the ground in front of him. 

He lets out a choked sound, hand twisting into the pillow. The fact that this isn’t Idris sits heavy in his chest. Alec is drifting in  _ enemy _ territory. He’d led them all to death for his  _ stupid  _ semblance of a plan. 

It’s been three days of waking up in this unfamiliar room and yet Alec still expects to be back in the castle every morning. 

There’s soft morning light leaking in through the lone window on the far side of the room that tells Alec that at least he hasn’t woken in the middle of the night again. 

He sits up slowly in the bed and breathes out a quiet breath. His side is still sore from the stab wound and the skin pulls painfully if he moves too quickly. 

The light from the window shines over the desk in the corner and he swallows against the lump in his throat as he stares at it. 

He thinks about Izzy. About her reading his note the day he’d left. About Jace, who probably refused to believe her when she’d told him what happened. Max, who was much too young to have to learn about the hopelessness of war. 

Something selfish deep inside of him longs for them to be here with him.

He doesn’t know why he thought he could take down an entire kingdom on his own. 

He’s  _ alone _ . And he hasn’t got a clue what to do.

He’s pulled out of his thoughts when there’s a soft knock on the door. Alec stares at it from the bed for a long second before he clears the lump in his throat and slips carefully out of the bed. 

When he pulls the door open, he finds Luke standing on the other side with a kind smile. Alec can’t help but return it with a small smile of his own. 

“Morning Alec,” he says, “how are you feeling?” 

Alec looks at Luke’s warm smile and kind dark eyes. It would be so easy to tell him the truth. Alec almost does blurt it all out. The nightmares and the bone deep feeling of hopelessness he’s been caring in his limbs since the moment he’d heard his parents speaking about this war like it had already been lost. 

Instead he pulls his lips wider into what he hopes resembles a smile and lies. 

“Good. Better.” 

He’s pretty sure Luke was asking about physically anyway. 

Luke smiles and pats his shoulder before turning to walk down the hall. 

“I’m glad to hear it,” he says, “you should get dressed, the rest of our little family still hasn’t met you and Simon is starting to get genuinely ansty about it.”

Luke’s expressionis fond even though Alec is sure he was trying to go for exasperated. Alec smiles and nods. 

As Alec gets dressed in the clothing Magnus had procured from him, he’s surprised to find himself feeling nervous. For some reason he wants these people to like him. 

When he makes it downstairs it’s to find the place empty except for the center booth. There’s five people seated at the booth and they all look up in unison when Alec walks over. 

Luke and Clary are the only two people he recognizes. Luke smiles warmly at Alec while Clary seems to sigh to herself when she notices his presence. At least it’s better than the last time they’d talked. 

“Alec,” Luke greets, standing up from the table and coming to stand next to him. 

“Hi,” he says dumbly, looking at the group of people at the table with something like nerves stirring in his chest. 

The man sitting next to Clary sends him a bright smile but the rest of the people at the table just stare back at him. Alec wonders how much they’ve been told. Do they know Alec is the Prince of Idris? Do they why he came here? 

“I think introductions are overdue,” Luke is saying when Alec zones back into the conversation. He points at the man who had smiled at Alec.

“That’s Simon,” Simon’s smile somehow grows wider and he waves his hand at Alec.

“Nice to meet you.” 

Alec nods back at him as Luke points to the girl across from him. Her hair is dark and curly and there’s something in her eyes that makes Alec think twice about doing anything to get on her bad side. 

“This is Maia.” 

Maia raises her hand from the table in a wave but she’s looking at him with something that seems like suspicion. At least it’s better than the downright anger he’d gotten from Clary. 

Luke then gestures to the other dark haired man at the table. He doesn’t even actually look at Alec when Luke makes the introductions. 

“This is Raphael.” 

Alec tries to smile at him but Raphael either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care about returning it. Instead he turns to Luke and raises an eyebrow. 

“Explain to me again why we’ve decided housing Idris royalty is a good idea?” he asks deadpan. 

Well that answers his question about whether they knew who he was. 

The rest of the people at the table nod in agreement and Alec bites his lip against a defensive retort. Luke sends Alec an apologetic look but it doesn’t do much against the glares of the others.

“Alec doesn’t have anywhere else to go,” Luke says. 

Clary looks like she’s about to protest but Luke sends her a look that is eerily similar to the one Alec gives his siblings to get them to shut up. 

“ _ And _ , Alec wants the same things we do. He’s on our side against Asmodeus. We aren’t going to alienate our allies.”

Clary looks like she wants to argue but Maia places a hand on her arm and she seems to calm down. 

Simon smiles at Alec sheepishly and shrugs in what Alec thinks might be an apology for the rest of his companions. 

“Welcome to Edom and the re-“

Luke cuts him off suddenly, “our little family,” he covers quickly. Alec knows that hadn’t been what Simon had been about to say but decides to let it slide. He doesn’t think demanding to know what these people are hiding would go over very well when they’ve already made it obvious they don’t trust him. 

“Simon and Maia work at the bar nearby. The Hunter’s Moon,” Luke continues as if he hadn’t just covered up some secret, “I was thinking they could entertain you over there tonight. It would do you well to get out of the Jade Wolf for a bit.”

Luke directs the second part of the sentence at Maia and Simon. His tone says it isn’t a request and Alec actually smiles to himself a bit when the two of them lean back in the booth and begrudgingly agree. 

***

That night Maia comes to collect Alec from the Jade Wolf and they head off to the Hunters Moon. 

Maia doesn’t say much as they walk and the silence between them ripples with tension. Alec doesn’t know what to say to try to change her opinion of him. He doesn’t know why he even  _ cares.  _

Alec breathes a sigh of relief when they make it into the bar and Simon waves with a bright smile. 

At least there’s one person who will actually talk to him. 

“Alec! Maia!” Simon calls happily, wiping the bar in front of them and gesturing for Alec to sit down at the stool. 

Maia smiles at Simon before joining him on the other side of the bar and starting to pour drinks. She moves away to the other side of the room to help some customers and Alec is left alone with Simon. Or well, as alone as they can be in a crowded bar.

“Welcome to the Hunter’s Moon,” Simon says, spreading his arms wide at the room and grinning happily. Alec wonders how Simon manages to be so carefree when everyone else around him seems to be the opposite.

“Thanks,” Alec says over the chatter throughout the bar.

“Want a drink? It’s on the house.” 

Alec nods and lets himself sag a bit against the bar when Simon turns around to grab a glass from behind him. 

Alec hadn’t noticed how tense he’d been until he’d let his body go limp against the bar and felt his muscles release. 

He’s not sure if relaxing in an unfamiliar bar full of people from Edom is the best idea but he doesn’t have it in him to try and muster up the strength to stay on alert. 

Simon places the glass down in front of Alec and he downs half of it in one go, only choking slightly. 

If Simon notices he doesn’t say anything, just smiles and leans onto the bar. 

“How have you been doing? Magnus said you were pretty banged up when he found you.” 

Alec’s attention piques at the mention of Magnus. He hasn’t seen him in three days, he realizes. Not since he’d basically broken down at that graveyard and Magnus had been nice enough to leave him alone.

“Yeah, I’m-I’m doing good,” he moves to play with the glass in front of him to give him something to do with his hands, “thanks to Magnus.” 

Alec’s voice softens over Magnus’ name without him consciously trying to and he feels his cheeks heat up. There’s just something about Magnus that the mere thought of him makes Alec’s heart beat faster in his chest and a smile tug at his lips. 

Simon tilts his head and smiles slightly but if he notices the blush he doesn’t say anything.

“Yeah Magnus is great. He’s like an older brother to me. Clary too.” 

Simon’s eyes are bright and fond even in the dimmness if the bar. It reminds him of Izzy somehow. 

“When I stumbled my way to Edom after-“ he cuts off abruptly and Alec sees the way his emotions shutter closed behind his eyes.  

Alec is startled by how quickly the warm brown turns cloudy and troubled. Simon looks away and clears his throat, and then, almost as quickly as it had come, it’s gone. Simon smiles widely, cheer back in his eyes. This time though, Alec sees it for the lie it is. 

“When I first got here, Magnus found me and took me to Luke. When I was 18 he taught me to make drinks and it got me this job. That’s where I met Maia,” he continues. 

Maia looks over at the sound of her name and salutes Simon with two fingers and an easy smile. Alec belatedly wonders what it’s like to have that kind of an easy friendship with someone who aren’t his siblings.

“All of you are close,” Alec comments idly, eyes still on Maia where she’s filling a glass with whiskey, expression calm and happy. 

Simon nods, “Yeah. We are. We kind of have to be to get through the day.” 

He doesn’t elaborate but Alec supposes it has something to do with the way he’d so effectively shut off a few seconds ago. 

“A lot of the reason is Magnus actually,” Simon continues, startling Alec out of his thoughts, “He’s the one who found both Maia and I and helped us when we were at our lowest. He taught us what it was to belong. Gave us a family. Taught us how to make potions and how to fight,” Simon’s voice has gone wistful and Alec can’t help but smile. 

They veer away from any serious conversation after that. Alec tells Simon about his siblings and Simon tells Alec at least a thousand stories about growing up with Clary at the Jade Wolf. He gets distracted in the middle of an elaborate story of how they’d hid from Luke on the roof for 12 hours when he gets flagged by a customer and leaves Alec alone at the bar. 

Alec runs a hand down his now empty glass and startles when Maia appears in front of him. 

“Hey.”

“Hi,” Alec says quietly. 

“Simon finally decided to stop talking your ear off?” 

Alec chuckles lightly, relieved that Maia isn’t glaring at him this time. 

“Yeah,” he breathes, “does he ever stop talking?” 

That gets a smile out of her that Alec feels weirdly proud of.

She shakes her head, “No. But we love him anyway.”

Alec stays by the bar for most of the night, watching the people of Edom come in and out. Alec had always been taught that Edom was a backwards place full of people without any morals. But as he watches, he sees that proven wrong. These are people who laugh and toast each other. People who help their friends and family out the doors when they get too drunk. People.  _ Regular people. _

He watches until Maia and Simon close up and start heading back to the Jade Wolf. He wonders just how many lies he’d believed growing up. 

As he slides into a bed that is slowly becoming familiar he can’t shake the feeling that he wants to trust these people. These people who took him in when they could have left him to die.

He can clearly see the love all of them have for each other - remembers Magnus saying Simon was Luke’s son. Clary saying Luke was her father in every way that counted. Luke calling their little group a  _ family _ . 

But they have  _ magic _ . They use it without any qualms and he can’t stop the entrained fear in his bones at the kinds of things someone could do wielding that kind of power.

***

Asmodeus is grinning darkly when Magnus steps into the throne room. 

He leans back in his throne slowly, eyes dark when they land on Magnus. Red magic sparks off his fingertips in a purposeful threat. Magnus’ blood runs cold in his veins.

“Magnus.”

Magnus hates the way his voice curls around his name, wants to shudder at the way it echoes around the room.

“Father.”

Magnus watches as a long finger idly runs down the dark marble arm of the throne. His father smiles at him in a way that is both possessive and terrifying. 

“Do you remember that spell we were working on?”

Magnus’ heart drops. Of course he remembers the spell. The first time his father had asked Magnus to kill for him. The way his father had smiled at him with unbridled pride when Magnus had done it without a thought. The memory chips at the careful hold he has on his fear. He can’t do that again. 

He won’t.

His father hasn’t asked him to perform any of that magic since that day that he’d somehow gathered enough courage to walk out on him. 

He can almost feel the adrenaline in his veins. The overwhelming power he had always felt after performing a spell his father had taught him. The way he could feel his magic electric in his blood. The sick satisfaction of living up to his father’s expectations. 

But he’d promised himself he was never going to use that kind of magic again. It consumed him. Made him forget his morals. He’d  _ hurt _ people. 

“I told you,” Magnus says slowly, measured, “I’m done with that.” 

Asmodeus’ nostrils flare in anger but he has no other reaction to Magnus’ words. 

“It’s in your blood Magnus,” he says in that same calmly measured tone that scares Magnus in how similar it is to the way he keeps a hold on his own anger. 

He supposes he’d have to have learned it from somewhere.

Asmodeus’ eyes are glinting knowingly at Magnus when he looks up again. 

“You can’t run from your destiny forever.” 

Magnus stares back at him, anger alight in his veins. 

“That’s where you’re wrong,” he says.

He doesn’t wait to see his father’s reaction, turning and making his way to the door. He hears the telltale crackle of magic before he sees it and ducks as a fireball sails past him and brings the chandelier down from the ceiling. 

His father is standing at the throne, the flames from the chandelier matching the fire in his eyes. 

Magnus stares at him from across the throne room for a long drawn out moment, mourns the father he should have had. And then turns, walking out of the room and slamming the double doors behind him in finality. 

Magnus doesn’t stop walking after he’s made it away from the throne room. He lets his feet guide him through the long spiraling halls of the castle until he ends up in front of his mother’s old chambers. 

When he realizes where he is, he feels his throat close over a sob. He is well and truly alone in this. In his father’s sick crusade into demon summonings and murder, and dark magic. He is supposed to be  _ destined _ to kill. To lead a burning world. 

He doesn’t want it.  _ Any of it. _ But how is he supposed to fight something ingrained into his blood?

He slides down the cold marble wall next to his mother’s door and drops his head into his knees.

“What do I do?” He mumbles, voice shaking dangerously over the words, “what the  _ hell _ am I supposed to do?”

His question is met with silence and Magnus feels a tear slide down his cheek. He doesn’t brush it away.

He picks up his head and drops it back against the wall. 

“I don’t blame you,” he starts softly this time, “I don’t blame you for leaving. Sometimes I wish I could disappear.” 

He thinks about all the times he’s thought of running away, leaving Edom and his father behind to their inevitable doom. But he could never go through with it. Because what would happen to Clary when Edom went up in flames? To Simon, Maia, Luke, Raphael, Cat, Ragnor? They all deserve to live in a world that wasn’t on the verge of war. 

Magnus takes a deep shuddering breath. 

“I’m trying to fix this,” he says into the air, “I won’t go down without a fight.” 

He finds that he means it with everything in his soul.

He stands and lets his fingers brush over the door with a sigh.

He finds himself wanting to go home. Not these cold winding halls of the castle, but home. The Jade Wolf. Where Luke’s smile warms his veins and Clary’s hugs seep the tension out of his muscles. Where Maia’s sarcasm makes him laugh and Simon’s jokes make him roll his eyes. Where Raphael rolls his eyes at everything yet will smile at Magnus when he sits down next to him.

_ Home. _

***

Magnus’ hand is on the door to The Jade Wolf when he hears a crash and then a long string of curses that cause him to raise his eyebrows. 

The sound seems to be coming from around back so Magnus steps away from the door and makes his way around the restaurant. 

The sight that meets him when he gets to the clearing behind The Jade Wolf makes him bite his lip against a fond smile. 

Alec is on the ground, a wooden bow in his lap and his long legs sprawled out in front of him. His hair is a mess and he seems to be very creatively cursing out the bow. 

Magnus takes the long moment where Alec doesn’t notice him to watch the way the cut of his jaw moves as he mutters to himself and his angry furrowed brows make his profile that much more beautiful than Magnus remembers. 

Alec looks up a second later, head halfway to being thrown backwards in frustration, when he sees Magnus and freezes. 

Magnus can’t help the small smile that makes its way onto his face when Alec’s cheeks flush and he scrambles up to his feet.

“Magnus,” he says on a breath. His deep voice curls around Magnus’ name in a way that makes it feel important. His eyes are wide as he brings a hand up to scratch at the back of his head in what looks like nervousness.

It’s somehow charming. 

“I was um-” Alec’s gaze darts down to the wooden bow still in his hand and blushes darker. 

“Training?” Magnus asks gently.

Alec lets out a fast breath that sounds like a sigh before he nods dejectedly. 

“Or well, I was  _ trying”  _ Alec turns to look at the makeshift targets with arrows stuck only on the outer edges. “I didn’t want my arm to get too sore from not using it so Luke let me borrow a bow,” he looks back down at the bow and flexes his long fingers against the wood, “but I guess my arm isn’t strong enough to properly pull back the bowstring yet.”

His eyes are sad as he says it and Magnus finds himself moving closer to him without thinking about it. He hovers a second, looking into the soft hazel of Alec’s eyes before reaching out to brush his fingers down Alec’s arm.

Alec seems to shiver at the touch and Magnus has to hold back his own reaction at the tingling feeling that makes its way up his arm from where their skin touches.

He looks up at Alec through his eyelashes and finds him staring back at him, lips slightly parted and eyes wide. 

Magnus gulps against his suddenly dry throat and pulls his hand away.

“I could ease some of the soreness with magic,” he offers, “if you want,” he adds when Alec’s doe eyes go wider. He keeps forgetting Alec isn’t used to magic. It’s always a sad reality check every time Alec flinches away. Because Magnus  _ wants  _ to trust him.

“I-um,” Alec stutters to a stop and then his eyes clear and Magnus sees something like determination settle into his features, “yeah, okay,” he says softly.

Magnus smiles softly, pleasantly surprised. 

He moves to place his hand back onto Alec’s arm but before he can call on his magic, Alec covers his hand with his own.

Magnus looks up at him and tries his hardest to ignore how easy it would be to turn his hand over and intertwine their fingers. 

“Does it hurt?” Alec asks softly. 

Magnus stands, stuck for a moment on the intensity in Alec’s eyes.

“What?” he asks dumbly. 

“The magic.”

Magnus shakes his head to himself. Alec hadn’t put his hand over his for any reason other than being apprehensive about the magic. He’s from Idris through and through. 

Magnus wants to be disappointed,  _ had _ been disappointed when Alec hadn’t wanted to drink the potion because it was magic. He had berated  himself for feeling that inkling of a connection between the two of them. For wanting to trust someone who so obviously looked down on him and his people. But now, after that day at the graveyard, Magnus thinks he may have judged too quickly. 

Yes, Alec had flinched away from the mention of magic multiple times and no one in the resistance seems to trust him in any way because of it. But right now, he’s  _ here _ looking at Magnus with wide eyes, willing to try. 

The fact that he’s willing to let Magnus use magic on him, no matter how apprehensive he is about it makes Magnus’ lips quirk in a small smile. 

It’s a start. Alexander Lightwood could surprise them yet. 

“No,” Magnus says, “it doesn’t hurt.” 

Alec’s eyes clear a bit and he smiles a matching small smile back at Magnus. 

“What  _ does  _ it feel like?” He asks, and this time it sounds more like curiosity than fear.

Magnus shrugs. Thinks about the way his magic feels like a current under his veins, always a part of him, keeping him steady. How Cat’s healing magic feels on his skin when she presses it into the bruises and cuts that Magnus can’t quite heal himself. 

“It depends what kind of magic,” he replies eventually, “healing magic is usually soothing. Kind of cold and tingly. Like you’re running an ice cube over your skin. 

Alec lifts his hand off of Magnus’ and looks into his eyes in that way that he has done since he first got here. A way that sends Magnus teetering off balance. 

“Okay,” he says softly, eyes never leaving Magnus’ “I’m ready.” 

Magnus doesn’t let his eyes leave Alec’s as he calls on his magic and lets it flick up Alec’s arm. 

Alec’s eyelashes flutter for a second and then he shivers slightly.

They’re so close like this, Alec’s breath and the sizzle of magic the only sound between them. Magnus almost doesn’t want it to end.

It isn’t the Clary hug that Magnus had needed when he got here, it’s something else entirely different. 

But there is intensity in Alec’s gaze as he looks at him. The way it makes Magnus’ heart beat rapid in his chest helps calm him all the same.

***

Izzy leans back in her chair and drops the copy of  _ The Shadow Realms _ onto the table in frustration. 

She’s looked through at least half the library and only found a little more than half a dozen about anything close to Edom. And even if Edom was mentioned there’s nothing that can help her. She needs to know about the royal family. Politics. Weaknesses. Instead she gets vague stories that all somehow end up back in Idris.

This book is more of the same. 

The chapter on Edom is almost laughably vague. A map of the borders, a list of natural resources, a very Idris centered telling of Edom’s role in the Angelic Wars. There isn't anything about Asmodeus, nothing about the royal family at all. 

She’s startled from her work when Lydia bursts into the library looking more off balance than Izzy has ever seen her.

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” she breathes when she sees Izzy at the table. 

Izzy stands quickly when she sees the panic behind her eyes. 

“What is it?” she asks, heart already speeding up in fear. 

Lydia lets out a long breath, hesitates, and then moves forwards to lay her hand on Izzy’s arm. The touch tingles against Izzy’s bare skin and she bites her lip. 

When Izzy looks up into her eyes the blue is sad. Izzy is almost certain she isn’t going to like the next thing that comes out of Lydia’s mouth. Lydia so rarely shows anyone what she’s feeling that Izzy knows if she can’t keep up her careful hold on it, then this can’t be good.

“I tried to stop him,” Lydia says softly. 

“Who?” Izzy asks, carefully measured. 

“Jace,” Lydia answers, “He- he went after Alec. Alone.”

Izzy’s world tilts on its axis at the words and she has to grip hard onto Lydia’s forearm to keep her hand from shaking. Because this can’t be happening. Alec’s already gone on what is essentially a suicide mission in Edom. She  _ can’t  _ lose Jace too. Not with Alec gone. Jace is the only thing holding her together. 

“No,” she whispers to herself, and then again, louder, “ _ No _ .”

“Izzy-” Lydia starts but Izzy isn’t listening. She wrenches away from Lydia’s grasp and turns to face the desk full of open books.

“No.” She says again, anger burning bright in her veins as her vision blurs,  “this isn’t fair. They don’t both just get to  _ leave _ me like that.” 

“I’m sorry,” Lydia says quietly and when Izzy turns to look at her through tear filled eyes she finds that Lydia looks genuinely distraught. Izzy forgets sometimes that Lydia has known all of them since they were kids. After not having seen her for years, Izzy had almost forgotten about running together through the castle halls as children, leaving chaos in their wake. 

It might not be the same amount of devastation that Izzy feels deep in her chest but Lydia isn’t unaffected. She care about Jace and Alec too. 

Izzy inhales a sharp shaky breath, sees Lydia open her arms, and lets herself fall into them.

***

Two days later, Izzy sits on her bed and stares at her wall unseeingly. 

After the initial shock she’d tried to go after Jace, but had been stopped by the soldiers who her parents had tasked with watching her every move. 

She’d laughed darkly in the face of the men guarding her room from both the inside and outside. Had bitterly thought about how it had taken losing two children to get them to start caring. She was supposedly now first in line to inherit the throne. Alec was as good as dead to them already. 

But  _ Izzy _ wasn’t about to give up on him yet. She had to have hope. Because if she didn’t then what does she have left?

She looks away from the wall when the soldier who had been guarding her door knocks and enters after being given permission. 

“Your Highness,” he says, “I have just received word that Jace has returned. I thought you would like to know.” 

Relief bursts uninhibited in Izzy’s chest and she almost sobs in thanks at the news. Thankfully, she keeps a hold on her emotions as she curtly thanks the soldier and waits for him to leave before sprinting out of the room. 

She makes record time, skipping stairs and throwing herself over a few railings until she’s skidding into the stables. 

Jace is standing there, hair windswept and muddy but he’s all in one piece and unhurt. Izzy wants to thank every god there is that he’s okay. She wants to run into his arms and make sure he’s real.

What she does instead surprises her. She walks straight up to Jace, grabs the from of his shirt into a fist and pulls him down to her eye level. 

“How  _ dare _ you think leaving like that without saying anything was okay. You left me here  _ alone _ . You didn’t even  _ talk  _ to me first,” she can feel herself growing into hysterics but she can’t seem to stop, “what was I supposed to tell Max if something had happened to you? Did you expect me to be okay with losing you? How  _ dare  _ you.” 

Jace doesn’t say anything. Doesn’t try to comfort her or even argue back. He’s deathly pale. 

Izzy feels herself freeze. 

“What happened?” she asks, all semblance of anger disappearing when Jace doesn’t say anything. She doesn’t know if she wants to hear the answer. 

Jace won’t meet her eyes, turning his head with what sounds like a muffled sob. 

“Alec’s dead.” 

Two words. Two short words and Izzy physically feels the way her chest rips. She shakes her head. No.  _ No no no.  _ Not Alec. Not her big brother. Alec who held the weight of the world on his shoulders and still made sure to sneak into Izzy’s room when she was having a bad day. Alec, who sang her to sleep and held her through her nightmares. Alec who cared so  _ so  _ much. He can’t be dead. 

“You’re wrong,” she says desperately. 

When Jace finally looks at her she wishes he hadn’t. There’s something dark and haunted in his eyes unlike anything she’s ever seen there before. The ache in her chest grows as she watches a stray tear rolls down Jace’s cheek.

“I saw the blood,” he says, quietly, voice shaking, “they’re all dead. They couldn’t have survived that.” 

Izzy chokes on her own breath and shakes her head again. 

“You didn’t find any bodies,” she insists. She knows she’s grasping at strings now, but she can’t believe Alec is dead. Not when the thought of accepting that makes it feel like her heart is being ripped out of her chest. 

“Stop it Iz,” Jace says, voice harsh and eyes dark, “I  _ saw  _ it,” he turns and picks something up off the ground, “and I found this.” 

When Izzy sees the object in his hands she can’t hold back the sob that she’d been trying to hold back.

It’s Alec’s bow, broken clean in half,  _ soaked  _ in blood. He didn’t go anywhere without that bow. 

Izzy takes a stumbling step back and then turns and runs back towards the castle. 

She stops halfway when she sees Max standing close enough that he could have heard everything they said and feels her heart break all over again. 

Her little brother, eyes wide and open as they look up at her in shock. 

“Jace is wrong, right?” He asks, sounding so very young, “Alec-he’s not-” he starts and then his voice breaks, shattering Izzy that much more, “he’s not really-” 

Izzy looks at him and tries to hold back a sob. Her face must speak for itself because Max shakes his head vehemently, eyes filling with tears.  A second later he’s flinging himself into Izzy’s arms.

Izzy falls to her knees, her little brother in her arms, and cries. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Hit me up on twitter or tumblr if you wanna talk or theorize or really anything! I love talking about this story!
> 
> Comments and Kudos feed my soul <3
> 
> Tumblr: [lightwormsiblings](https://lightwormsiblings.tumblr.com)  
> Twitter: [alistoney1](https://mobile.twitter.com/alistoney1)


	6. Chapter VI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grief doesn’t go well for the Lightwoods

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry this chapter took like 2 months. Finals and writing 3b coda fics took over my life for a little while there but I’m back and super psyched to write as much as I can this summer!

Izzy is rigid next to Jace and Max as they stand together on the dais in the throne room.

Their parents stand next to them, addressing the royal court which has been all gathered together to be told about Alec. 

They’re calling him “missing in action”. 

Her father places a hand on Izzy’s shoulder as he announces her the new heir to the throne should Alec not return. The royal court bows to her in one synchronized motion, but Izzy barely sees any of it. 

Her thoughts are still on Jace and the bloody bow he’d brought home in his hands. His ashen face and Max’s tear streaked cheeks. 

She thinks about the last time she’d seen Alec. They’d been the last two awake. Jace had dozed off in the middle of a sentence and he and Izzy had shared a look of fond exasperation. Alec had pressed his lips to her forehead and told her she should sleep too. She’d laid her head against his chest and fallen asleep to the steady beat of his heart. 

She grit her teeth and forced the tears down. She was, supposedly Idris’ future queen. She wasn’t going to start crying in front of her subjects. 

Usually Izzy looked to Alec when she was on the verge of breaking, but he was-  _ not dead _ ,  _ just missing  _ the stubborn part of her mind argued. They hadn’t seen a body no matter what Jace said, no matter what he’d convinced himself when he’d found the bow. There is still hope, even if Izzy is the only person who is holding onto it. 

She looks over at Jace now. His jaw is set, eyes hard. He’d locked himself in his room and hadn’t spoken to anyone since he’d told Izzy about the bow. 

She wants to reach out and squeeze his hand. Give him some sort of signal that she knows how he’s feeling. How it feels like the thing holding her together has unraveled and she’s trying to keep herself together with her bare hands. She knows he won’t take it well though, will shrug her off and glare at her with that halfway to tears look that always breaks her heart. 

Alec knows how to deal with Jace when he won’t speak to anyone. Izzy doesn’t know what to do. How to fill shoes that seem impossible to fill. 

Max leans into her and she squeezes his shoulder in support. At least she knows how to comfort him. 

After the announcement Jace doesn’t stay long. Izzy keeps watch over him from the corner of her eye and so she notices when he slips out of the throne room at the first chance he gets, probably to go and lock himself in his room again. Izzy can’t keep letting him do it. Can’t watch him hurt alone when there’s the possibility that Alec isn’t dead. 

She catches up to him halfway down the hall and lays a gentle hand on his shoulder. 

He whirls around and up close Izzy can see just how bloodshot his eyes are. Jace loves Alec more than he loves anyone else in the world. Izzy knows that. Knows that Alec is the person who’s room Jace ends up in when he has nightmares, how he is the only person Jace ever talks to about the night he lost his parents in that fire, how Alec had been his anchor when they were young. She’s just never seen it so close up. 

“Jace-“ she says, flinching when her own voice breaks over the word. 

“What?” Jace asks, voice harsh, “what Izzy? Are you going to try and get me to believe your delusional idea that he’s still alive? Because that’s what is is. Delusional. He’s dead and you have to accept that. You have to accept that and stop pretending he’s still out there somewhere just because you’re unwilling to take responsibility as the new heir.” 

Izzy takes a step backwards in shock. She feels like she’s been slapped. Jace has never spoken to her with such venom. Not even when they’d had their worst fights. 

A small part of her knows it’s the grief talking, that Jace  _ knows  _ how important keeping Idris safe is to her. He knows she doesn’t back down from anything even if it seems impossible. 

But that doesn’t stop the sudden anger that unfolds in her chest. Alec is gone. The single worst thing that Izzy could ever have imagined has happened, she  _ needs  _ Jace. And instead he’s pushed her away at every possible turn. It was always supposed to be the three of them against the world but with Alec gone it’s all crumbled and Izzy can’t help but blame Jace for not even trying. 

“I am not trying to _hide_ from my responsibilities,“ she grits out, “but I’m not about to give up on _my_ big brother if he’s out there and needs my help. And when I bring him home,” Izzy takes a step closer to Jace, not even trying to conceal the very real fire in her eyes, “because I _am_ going to bring him home if it’s the last thing I do - you’re going to have to live with the fact that you did _nothing_.”

Izzy is breathing hard by the end of her speech and Jace stands stone still in front of her. They’re both panting, harsh breaths that cover the suffocating silence in the aftermath of Izzy’s outburst. 

Jace’s eyes are clearer than they have been since he’d dropped the bow into Izzy’s hands. Maybe, just maybe she’s gotten through to him. 

She brings her hand up and gently places it over his heart. 

“Jace,” she says softly, “a bloody bow isn’t proof enough that he isn’t still out there.” 

Jace makes a wounded noise in the back of his throat before stepping away from her touch. 

“Stop it,” he says and then squeezes his eyes shut, taking a deep breath and dropping his voice to a heartbreaking whisper “just  _ stop _ .”

This time Izzy doesn’t try and stop him when he turns and walks away. 

***

Izzy doesn’t let herself think about the fight with Jace. Instead she throws herself into finding a way to find Alec. She takes the books about Edom from the library and spreads them out over her desk and bed in an attempt to find anything she’s missed. There has to be some way to get into Edom without being found out by the border guards, she just hasn’t looked hard enough. 

She’s so engrossed in studying yet another unhelpful map of Edom that she startles when there’s a knock on her door.

She only has enough time to shove the map back into the book and shut it before the door creaks open and Lydia stands in the doorway. 

Izzy breathes a sigh of relief. Her parents had told her in no uncertain terms that she was not to go looking for Alec because it was too dangerous. And then of course, because her parents have never trusted her, they’d also posted guards at every castle exit making it impossible for her to try even if she wanted to. Finding her pouring over books on Edom would not go over well with them.

Lydia is still wearing the blue dress she’d worn for the court announcement that morning and Izzy can’t help but notice the way it makes her eyes stand out. 

“Come in,” she says softly and Lydia sends her a small smile before stepping into the room and shutting the door behind her. 

“I hadn’t seen you since this morning,” Lydia says, coming to sit beside Izzy on the side of her bed, “I wanted to make sure you were okay.” 

Izzy huffs out a humorless laugh. 

“I’m the current heir to a kingdom on the verge of war, Alec is alone in enemy territory, and Jace thinks I’m crazy for even thinking there’s a possibility he’s alive. I’m as far from okay as I could possibly be.” 

Lydia matches Izzy’s humorless laugh and picks up the book she’d stuffed the map into. 

“Okay, yeah, that was a stupid question.” 

She looks up at Izzy through her eyelashes and Izzy feels her lips turn up into the beginnings of a real smile. 

She watches as Lydia opens the book and smooths out the map. It’s frustratingly empty, only showing the border with Idris and barely anything else. Izzy has no idea what lays beyond that border. 

Lydia studies the map, running a finger over the border lines before sighing and looking back up at Izzy.

“Well this isn’t very helpful at all,” she states, one eyebrow raised. 

“You’re not going to tell me believing he’s still alive is stupid?” 

Lydia shrugs and puts the map back down. 

“I don’t know,” she says consideringly, “there isn’t a body and Alec can accomplish almost anything when he’s working on pure determination. I don’t have complete faith he isn’t dead and I know it’s crazy to think he’d be able to survive an attack at the border. But there’s a small chance he did and I can’t help but hope.”

Her eyes have gone cloudy when she looks up again and Izzy is reminded of the fact that it isn’t just her Jace and Max that are reeling over Alec. 

Lydia has known Alec since before they could even walk. She is supposed to be  _ marrying _ Alec. Izzy knows there isn’t anything romantic there, that their union is purely political, but Lydia  _ does _ care about Alec. She isn’t as open as Izzy and Jace might be about their grief but Izzy can see it now that she’s looking for it. 

Her blue eyes are sad behind the calm front she’s put up and she clutches the book too tightly in her hands.

Lydia is holding onto hope just like Izzy is. Because it’s less painful than the alternative. 

Izzy gently pulls Lydia’s hand off the book and twines their fingers together. She places her other hand over their hands and smiles up at Lydia. 

“We could use a little more hope around here,” she says softly.

Lydia’s answering smile is small but it warms Izzy’s chest and gives her renewed strength.

***

“They would never trust any of us.” 

Magnus lets out a frustrated breath and drops his head back onto the booth. Luke is right. No one in Idris will ever trust someone from Edom even if they  _ are  _ on the same side of this war. 

But they need someone to get information from Idris’ army. Someone they can trust to give them accurate updates. Someone who can create a real alliance between Idris and the resistance. There’s no way they can beat Asmodeus without it. 

Their best option is Clary. She comes from a line of wealthy Idris families and that can get her an audience. But it’s too dangerous given  _ who _ those wealthy families are. The Morgenstern and Fairchild names are almost as scorned as Edom is in Idris and Magnus can’t send her into that disaster alone.

“Magnus,” Luke continues, “I just don’t think this plan can work. We need to figure out another way.” 

Magnus thinks back to his father’s attempts at bridging his talent for dark magic back to the forefront and has to hold back a shudder. His father is getting more powerful by the day. He can  _ feel  _ it. 

The only way to stand a chance against him is with an army. Idris has an army, but that army doesn't stand a chance against Asmodeus unless Magnus can tell them his weaknesses. 

“There is no other way. I’m not sending Clary but someone has to try,” Magnus says with a shake of his head. 

Luke’s eyes flash, “Magnus you can’t go, they’ll kill you on sight.”

Magnus stands from the booth and lets out a long breath.

“I’m offended that you think I can’t hold my own against a few Idris soldiers. I’m the  _ prince  _ of Edom. My magic is stronger than any of their weapons,” Magnus says with a wave of his hand that sends sparks showering onto the table.

Luke doesn’t seem satisfied with Magnus’ answer though.

“It’s still too dangerous, and they won’t trust you if you kill their people.” 

Magnus throws his hands up in frustration. 

“What else am I supposed to do Luke? The resistance can’t exactly take down an entire army. We’re three barely twenty year old  _ children,  _ a werewolf, vampire, and a few warlock’s who are hiding the  _ Prince of Idris _ -“ 

Magnus abruptly cuts himself off, eyes widening. Prince of Idris. They have the _Crown_ _Prince of Idris_ hiding upstairs. _He_ is someone Idris would trust. 

“Alexander,” Magnus says on a breath, “he’d be trusted by Idris. He could get us an alliance.” 

Luke is already shaking his head before Magnus can finish his sentence.

“Magnus, we don’t know anything about Alec. We can’t trust him no matter how much I know you want to. He hasn’t given us any reason to. And he needs to trust us too in order for this plan to work.” 

Magnus crumples back down into the booth and sighs. Luke’s right. Of course he’s right. Magnus has watched Alec jump at any signs of magic for the last week, even if he is getting better about it. It’s obvious he doesn’t trust them yet. And despite Magnus wanting to trust him, with his wide sincere eyes and soft heart, he doesn’t really know anything about Alec. 

But he  _ wants  _ to. He can see the potential in Alec if he’s given the chance to grow. 

Magnus spins the ring on his index finger and bites his lower lip contemplatively. 

“Let’s give him some time,” Magnus decides, “I think, given the chance, Alexander could surprise us.” 

***

When Magnus leaves the Jade Wolf he’s startled to find Alec sitting cross legged in front of the building. 

He’s facing away from the door so he doesn’t see Magnus as he walks up to him and joins him on the floor. 

He doesn’t exactly jump when he notices Magnus but he does drop the arrow he’d been holding into his lap in surprise. 

“Magnus.” 

Magnus lets a slow smile spread over his face at the way Alec’s cheeks flush slightly. He’s really rather beautiful. 

“What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?” Magnus asks softly when Alec doesn’t say anything more. 

Alec’s cheeks flush darker and Magnus smiles, feeling the stress from his conversation with Luke slowly seeping out of him.

He ducks his head and looks up at Magnus through thick eyelashes. Magnus has to resist the urge to cup his cheek and run his thumbs over the shape of his wide eyes. 

“Nothing really,” Alec says softly, picking the arrow back up from his lap and spinning it between his fingers. 

His eyes look troubled and his lips are pulled down slightly at the corners. Something is on his mind, that much Magnus knows for certain.

“Doesn’t seem like nothing,” he pushes gently. 

Alec lets out a long breath and then turns to look at Magnus. It’s the first time since Magnus had come to sit next to him that Alec has looked him fully in the eye and he’s almost startled by the intensity in his gaze. 

“My family probably thinks I’m dead,” Alec says without preamble and Magnus can’t hide his startled reaction. 

There’s guilt in Alec’s eyes and Magnus doesn’t really know what to say to make it go away. 

“And I probably would be if it wasn’t for you,” he drops a hand onto Magnus’ thigh and squeezes softly, “so thank you. I’m sorry I’m only just now saying it.” 

Magnus can still feel the warmth of his skin when he pulls his hand away and he has to take a deep breath before he can speak without his voice shaking. 

“You’re welcome, Alexander,” he says, and then because Alec’s quiet intensity is too much for him to be on the receiving end of, he smirks, “I couldn’t let such a beautiful man die on my watch now could I?” 

Alec doesn’t blush like Magnus had expected. Instead he rolls his eyes with an exasperated smile as if he can tell exactly what Magnus is trying to do and sees right through it.

“You’re a good person, Magnus,” Alec says seriously, “even if you don’t think so.”  

Magnus swallows hard and drops his gaze away from Alec’s. 

Alec wouldn’t be saying that if he knew who Magnus truly is. The Prince of a wasteland kingdom who had too much of a hand in building its army. 

***

A hand lands on the open page of the book Alec is reading and he looks up, startled.

Maia stands next to the table with an eyebrow raised and a hint of a smile on her face. 

Alec is sure she doesn’t completely like him but she acknowledges him more often since they talked at the Hunter’s Moon. It’s the best Alec’s probably going to get. 

“You’re coming with me into town,” she says, pausing when she looks down and notices what Alec is reading. 

Alec had found the book of potions upstairs and had been intrigued by it so he’d brought it down to do some reading. He figured that if he was going to be spending time in Edom he should at least learn  _ something _ about magic and it seemed a good place to start.

He’d been pulled in immediately, in awe by all the different things potions could accomplish. Love potions, healing potions, potions of protection and pages upon pages more.

Maia is looking at him consideringly when Alec looks up to meet her gaze. She doesn’t say anything about the book though, just taps his shoulder and starts walking towards the door of the Jade Wolf. 

Alec stands and goes to follow her. When he’s caught up, Maia leads them out and down a narrow path.

“Luke needs me to get some stuff from the market. He told me to take you with me since you’ve been cooped up all week.” 

Alec  _ had _ spent most of the week in the Jade Wolf, come to think of it. He’d spent time with Luke and Simon in the kitchen and read as many books as he could find. Practiced his archery outside until his shoulder ached too much to continue. It had been surprisingly nice to shed the duty of being a prince for a little while. 

“You were reading a potions book,” Maia states, pulling Alec out of his thought. She looks as if she can’t believe it. Alec can barely believe it himself. 

He shrugs, “I had free time and it seemed interesting,” he remembers Simon telling him Magnus had taught them all how to make potions, “do you know how to make all of them?” he asks, unable to keep his curiosity at bay.

Maia laughs, “not all, some potions require you to have warlock magic like Magnus has so I can’t do those ones. But the ones that don’t require any magic I’ve basically mastered.” 

Alec hums and furrows his brows in thought. 

“Why don’t you have magic like Magnus?” 

Maia’s eyes go dark and Alec almost regrets asking the question. He barely knows Maia and she’s made it clear that she doesn’t exactly like him.

She looks at him darkly for a long moment and then, to his surprise, she starts speaking. 

“Everyone born in Edom has warlock magic. But I’m not from Edom,” she keeps her eyes on the ground as she speaks but Alec doesn’t need to see her eyes to know that this is a hard story for her to tell, “I ran away from home when I was a kid. I followed my brother here. He left when I was young, saying he wanted to join the army Asmodeus was creating in Edom. My parents were devastated and took it out on me. I couldn’t stay so I came here to get him back.”

She cuts herself off for a second, shaking her head. Alec is tempted to place a comforting hand on her shoulder like he’d do to his siblings when they are upset but he isn't sure if it would be received well. 

“When I got here I found out he was dead,” her voice is wet and Alec feels the words like a punch to his gut. He imagines how devastated he’d be if he found out Izzy, Jace or Max had died.

“Maia, I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be,” she shakes her head, “I decided to stay here. I didn’t want to go back to my parents. And in a few years I’d gotten a job at The Hunters Moon and met Magnus my first week on the job. He introduced me to Luke, Clary, and Simon. I’m happier here.”

When she looks back up to meet his gaze Alec smiles. She’s telling the truth. 

“Everything happens for a reason,” she finishes, eyes wiser than they should be at her age. 

They come to a stop at the top of a hill and Alec’s eyes widen when he looks down. There are dozens of soldiers crowding the square, weapons drawn. He sees one of them point a sword at a woman and snatch something from her hand. 

“ _ That’s  _ the market?” He asks. He can’t hide the shock in his voice. The soldiers are invading the people’s homes. Taking things by threatening them. He feels anger build up in his chest.

Maia nods sadly, “Asmodeus lets the soldiers run loose on Edom. They usually frequent the market and the areas close by. It’s not a pretty sight.” 

Alec shakes his head in disbelief. Maia looks at him as if she can tell what’s going on in his head.

“Your army in Idris isn’t the only one who wants Asmodeus gone, Alec,” she looks back out at the market and shakes her head, “we all do.” 

Alec can’t take his eyes off the scene. His whole life he’d thought Edom was loyal to Asmodeus. That everyone in the Edom was Idris’ enemy.

He can’t believe how wrong he was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There ya go! I hope the second part of the chapter soothed the pain from the beginning just a bit!
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated
> 
> Tumblr: [lightwormsiblings](https://lightwormsiblings.tumblr.com)  
> Twitter: [alistoney1](https://mobile.twitter.com/alistoney1)


	7. Chapter VII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus takes Alec on an adventure and Izzy and Lydia have a plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is brought to you by Saturn by Sleeping at Last because I listened to it on repeat while writing this chapter. 
> 
> Reminder that you can use the tag #rtwfadfic if you’d like to livetweet <3

One of Magnus’ favorite things about the Jade Wolf is that he’s always greeted with people he loves. It’s a welcome contrast to the castle that’s supposed to be his home. 

As he steps into the restaurant that particular day, he is met with Clary and Simon’s laughter from one of the corner booths.

They look up from what looks like a game of cards and grin when they see him. 

“Magnus!” Clary calls, still giggling slightly. Magnus sees her stealthily drop some of her cards onto her seat and then sit on them.

Magnus snickers to himself. He’d definitely taught her that move. 

“Want to play?” Simon asks, throwing his cards down on the table with a defeated sigh, “you’ll probably do a lot better than me.”

Clary laughs into her hand and Magnus reaches over, pulling out some of her hidden cards.

“Oh don’t be so hard on yourself Simon,” he says, smirking as Clary tries to pull his hand back, “Biscuit here has been cheating,” he holds the cards up between to fingers. 

Simon throws his hands up and glares at Clary, “I  _ know _ ,” he says dramatically, pulling out a pile of cards from his own seat and dropping them on the table, “so have I and I’m  _ still _ losing every game.” 

Clary cackles and Magnus looks between the two of them in amusement. 

Simon has his arms crossed in faux anger and Clary sticks her tongue out at him. Magnus laughs as Simon makes a noise of outrage. 

The two of them act the most like siblings out of all of them, Magnus thinks. The rest of them met too late in life or are too far apart in age to really have the sort of teasing lighthearted friendship Simon and Clary have. Magnus doesn’t have a doubt in his mind that wherever Clary goes, Simon will follow and vice versa. 

Clary gathers the cards on the table into a neat stack and looks up at Magnus with a smile. 

“So, want to join for the next game?”she asks, flicking her gaze to Simon’s for a moment before looking back at Magnus. “We promise not to cheat this time.”

Magnus waves a hand to decline, “I know you’d both most definitely still cheat,” he says, and laughs at both of their sputtering protests. 

“Besides,” he continues, “I’m actually here to see Alec. Do you guys know where he is?” 

Simon smirks at Magnus, “Has someone got a date?” he asks, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Magnus has to fight back a blush at the insinuation and rolls his eyes to try and cover it. 

“He’s upstairs,” Clary says, rolling her eyes at Simon as well before starting to deal their cards. 

Simon sends him another eyebrow wiggle that Magnus resolutely ignores as he heads for the stairs. 

They’re on the brink of war. Magnus doesn’t have time for a date even if he  _ has  _ been thinking about it.

Magnus finds Alec in the first room he ducks his head into. He’s sprawled across Clary’s bed, which has become his for the time being, head bent over a book. 

Magnus leans on the doorway and watches him for a moment. His long lashes skim over his cheekbones as his eyes move back and forth over the page. Upon closer look, Magnus realizes with a start that Alec’s reading his potions book. The one he’d made for the resistance, full of the best potions that could be made without warlock magic. 

Magnus feels something ache in his chest that feels surprisingly like fondness. He smiles and brings a hand up to knock on the doorway to announce his presence. 

When Alec looks up, he seems confused for a second before he smiles hesitantly and shuts the book in his lap. 

“Hi,” he says quietly. 

Magnus smiles back at him, probably a bit more softly that he had meant to. 

“Can I come in?” 

Alec’s eyes widen and he curls his legs up to make space on the bed.

“Um, yeah, of course.” 

Magnus steps into the room and sits down on the edge of his bed. He can feel Alec’s intense gaze tracking his every movement but once he turns to look up at him, Alec averts his eyes.

His finger runs idly over the book in his lap and Magnus can’t help but wonder. 

“Is it interesting?” he asks, gesturing to the book when Alec raises an eyebrow in a silent question. 

He looks down and seems to think about it for a moment before he smiles slightly and nods. 

“Yeah, it is. I never knew you could do so many things with potions. The book is really thorough,” he looks down at the book appreciatively and Magnus’ heart sings. 

“I should hope so,” he murmurs, reaching out to touch the book himself, “I wrote it.” 

Alec’s eyes widen and his lips part in genuine surprise. It startles a delighted laugh out of Magnus. 

“That’s—that’s  _ amazing _ ,” Alec says, eyes alight in what can only be described as genuine awe. He looks beautiful.

Magnus ducks his head bashfully and grins stupidly to himself as Alec keeps talking animatedly about potions and Magnus’ book.

Magnus is dumbfounded by the fact that Alec had been flinching at the mere mention of magic only a couple of weeks ago. And now here he is raving about potions, in awe of a book that  _ Magnus  _ had written. 

“I first wrote it when Luke, Simon, and Clary showed an interest in learning about potions a few years ago. I keep adding new potions to it as I learn more or come up with new ones,” Magnus explains, rambling to try and cover how proud he suddenly feels.

“You’re amazing,” Alec breathes, and then blushes crimson as if he hadn’t actually meant to say that. Magnus hides his smile into his hand and changes the subject to spare Alec the embarrassment. 

“As much as I love talking about potions, I actually came here to check on your arm,” he says. “How has it been feeling?”

Alec’s fingers move to his injured arm and rub at the spot where the break had been.

“It’s gotten a little stiff actually, since your magic wore off,” he confesses quietly.

Magnus hums sympathetically. Healing magic couldn’t  always completely fix wounds. Especially ones as severe as Alec’s had been. Little bursts of magic could help along the natural healing process though.

Magnus holds his hand out, palm up and smiles encouragingly at Alec.

“May I?” 

Alec holds out his arm without much hesitance this time. There’s still an underlying distrust that Magnus can see in the way he holds his breath as the magic works its way up his arm, but he’s much more open to it than before. Magnus can’t help but be proud to see how far he’s come.

“It kind of tickles,” Alec muses, chuckling when Magnus furrows his eyes in confusion, “your magic.”

Magnus laugh and conjures an orb of harmless magic into his palm. Alec looks at it for a long second, the spark reflecting in his eyes and making them glow. He scoots closer and then sets his hand on top of Magnus’. The magic engulfs both of their hands and Alec laughs softly. 

“Yeah, definitely tickles,” he breathes. Magnus has to fight ridiculously hard not to succumb to the urge of twining their fingers together. 

He banishes the magic and Alec slowly pulls his hand away. Magnus misses his warmth immediately. 

“You should also drink this to help the healing,” Magnus says, snapping and letting a glass full of healing potion he’d made earlier drop into his hands. 

Alec’s nose wrinkles and he scoots away from the glass with an adorable frown.

“No thank you, that tasted disgusting last time I drank it.” 

Magnus laughs and flicks Alec’s good arm, “don’t be a baby, Alexander. It’s not that bad.”

Alec glares at him but he takes the potion, their fingers brushing for a second, and then knocks it all back in one go.

Magnus watches with wide eyes as he shudders afterwards and makes a disgusted noise in the back of his throat. 

“Oh my god,” he mutters and Magnus pats him on the shoulder consolingly, which only makes him glare.

Magnus holds up his hands in surrender.

“Hey, I’m just trying to get your arm healed faster.” 

Alec leans back onto his pillow and smiles down at Magnus. 

“Yeah, I know. Thank you,” he says sincerely, “but that potion is actually disgusting.”

Magnus laughs again and Alec smiles. 

When Magnus stands up to leave he’s startled to find Luke leaning against the doorway, arms crossed and a considering smile on his face.

Magnus wonders just how much of that interaction Luke saw.

***

It’s nearing four in the morning when Magnus returns to the Jade Wolf, and he’s quiet as he lets himself in through the back door. 

The main floor is a little eerie with all the lights off and the booths empty. Magnus doesn’t turn on the lights as he walks towards the stairs. He doesn’t want to wake anyone.

He lets his fingers skim along tables and booths as he passes, to make sure he doesn’t accidentally bump into anything and internally applauds himself when he makes it to the stairs without much trouble.

Thankfully, the upstairs hall light has been left on and Magnus easily creeps his way down the hall to where Clary’s room is.

The door opens with a small creak and then Magnus is met with the sight of Alec tangled up in the sheets of Clary’s small bed. 

He looks impossibly young, face devoid of any stress and hair falling messily over his forehead. 

Magnus wants to watch him for a bit longer but he decides that would be just a little bit too creepy so he makes his way to the bed and shakes Alec softly.

“Alec,” he whispers, “Alexander.”

Alec hums under his breath and rolls over but doesn’t open his eyes.

Before he can think better of it Magnus has his had cupping Alec’s cheek. The skin is smooth and warm under his palm and he sweeps his thumb over Alec’s cheekbone once before murmuring his name again.

This time Alec’s eye’s flutter and he smiles softly in his sleep, hand coming up to curl around Magnus’ wrist and hold his hand against his cheek. 

Magnus freezes, heart thundering in his chest as Alec’s eyes slip open and lock with his. 

His eyes are lighter than usual, hazy with sleep, and he looks  _ beautiful _ .

Alec watches him for a few moments, blinking his sleep away. Magnus is still frozen in place with his palm against his cheek. 

Alec seems to realize their position after a moment and his eyes widen. He quickly drops Magnus’ wrist and Magnus hastily pulls his hand away as Alec bolts up in bed.

“What the hell are you doing here?” He asks in a whisper. 

Magnus curls his hand into a fist and tries not to think about the way his fingers are still tingling where they’d been touching Alec’s skin.

“I’m here for you,” Magnus says. 

Alec’s eyebrows furrow endearingly and Magnus stands from the bed before he does something stupid like crawl under the sheets with Alec or cup his cheek again.

“You’ve been in Edom a few weeks now and you still haven’t seen what I think is the best sight in the kingdom,” Magnus explains, biting his lip against a grin when Alec’s lips quirk up into a smile. 

“Why do I have to see this place in the middle of the night?” Alec questions, gesturing to the window where moonlight is spilling in through the curtains. 

Magnus doesn’t answer, just picks up the sweater hanging off the desk chair and throws it to Alec.

“Less questions and more changing, Pretty Boy,” be says, delighting in the way Alec’s cheeks flush, “I’ll be waiting out front.”

A few minutes later Alec joins him outside and Magnus grins at him. 

“Shall we?” Magnus asks.

Alec grins back and nods. They start down a path Magnus knows by heart. He’s been coming here since he was a kid and he’d first found the place. It has a special place in his heart. 

Alec walks close to Magnus, their shoulders brushing every so often, pulling stupid smiles out of Magnus every time. They don’t talk that much but the silence between them isn’t suffocating. Alec’s presence is calming and actually soothes some of the nerves Magnus has been having over this whole plan. 

He likes spending time with Alec. He’s intriguing and the two of them have some sort of unspoken connection that Magnus can’t seem to understand. He trusts Alec and has unknowingly let him into his guarded heart at some point. He hopes it doesn’t backfire on him. 

It takes almost an hour until the two of them make it to the familiar clearing but the trip is worth it when Alec gasps next to him.

The clearing is on a cliff, high enough that it overlooks the river and waterfall at the edge of the kingdom. The sun is just starting to rise over the horizon, making the water look shimmery with pink and gold. 

Magnus watches Alec’s eyes as the flick from thing to thing and smiles at the awe he sees there. 

“Magnus,” he breathes when he notices Magnus watching him, “this— it’s gorgeous.” 

Magnus smiles and settles down into the grass, patting the spot next to him. 

“Care to watch the sunrise with me, Your Highness?”

Alec rolls his eyes and drops down next to Magnus. Their shoulders brush and Alec smiles brightly at him. 

They sit in silence for a while, watching as the colors on the waterfall change as the sun moves higher into the sky. Alec scoots closer and drops his head down onto Magnus’ shoulder sleepily.

“How’d you find this place?” He asks softly. 

Magnus smiles. He’d found the place as a child. Long before he’d met Luke or Clary or any of the resistance. It had been back when his father had been able to control him much more easily, back when Magnus hadn’t even realized the kinds of things he was doing. 

He’d felt lost and alone then. He didn’t really have anyone except his father. He hadn’t even met Cat and Ragnor at that point. 

“I was a lonely child,” Magnus starts, keeping his eyes on the water, “my mother killed herself when I was young. And my father he-“ 

Magnus pauses a moment. He wants to tell Alec. Wants to tell him that his father is responsible for all this destruction. That Magnus is the prince of this kingdom that’s falling to pieces. But he doesn’t know what Alec will think, how he’ll react to finding out Magnus is supposed to be his sworn enemy. He doesn’t know if Alec will hate him for the war his father has started. And Magnus cares what Alec thinks of him, more than he wants to admit. He doesn’t want Alec to look at him like he’s an enemy.

“My father isn’t a good person.” he finishes quietly, wringing his hands together, “I found this place one day when I was trying to get away from it all.” 

Alec curls his fingers over Magnus’ wrist and gently pulls his hands away from each other. The touch is reminiscent of earlier when he’d sleepily held onto Magnus.

“Magnus, I’m so sorry.” 

Alec’s eyes are wide and full of pain. Pain for  _ Magnus _ , because Alec cares about him. Magnus takes a shaky breath and places his hand over Alec’s where it’s still curled around his wrist. 

“It’s okay,” he whispers, not trusting himself to speak any louder without his voice breaking. 

Alec squeezes his wrist and shakes his head. 

“It’s not,” he says, equally as quiet. 

Magnus looks up into his eyes and Alec smiles at him sadly.

“You know, when I set out for Edom I never expected this. Never expected  _ you _ ,” Alec shakes his head slightly and lets out a breath, “I was so angry at my parents for doing nothing in the face of war. I was angry at Edom for starting this war in the first place. I thought I was coming here to fight  _ all _ of you. It’s what I’d been taught since I was a child. That Edom was dangerous and that all of its people were too. Not just Asmodeus. But I was— I was wrong. You hate him just as much as we do. You’re all  _ suffering  _ at his hand in a way no one in Idris even  _ knows  _ about. If I’d known—“

Magnus cuts him off with a hand to his chest and looks him straight in the eye, heart beating fast in his chest. 

“You know now.” 

***

Alec drops a handful of pine needles into the pot in front of him and dodges as a puff of smoke bursts into the air. 

“What the hell?” He mumbles, staring down at the pot and Luke laughs. 

Alec glares at him and looks back at the book of potions. He’s sure he can’t have messed it up  _ again. _

Alec had kept thinking about Magnus’ potion book ever since their conversation down by the waterfall. Magnus had looked at him with so much reverence when he’d talked about his changing view on Edom. The way he’d said Alec knew  _ now.  _ He looked proud of Alec in that moment and Alec wanted to be deserving of it. 

So he’d picked up the book of potions and decided he wanted to learn. Luke had walked in on his first attempt and asked him if he needed help. 

So now here they are on attempt number three. Luke hasn’t been much help, Alec suspects he’s hanging out more for the entertainment factor than for helping Alec. 

Simon walks into the kitchen just as Alec is pouring his failed attempt down the sink for the third time and wrinkles his nose.

“What—“ he starts and then looks down at the counter, strewn with the ingredients Alec had been using, “pine needles, vinegar, garlic. Are you making a healing potion?” He asks in disbelief. 

“Magnus’ book said it was one of the simplest ones,” Alec says with a heaving sight.

Simon exchanges a look with Luke that looks suspiciously like they’re both laughing at him. 

“Clary and I have been making healing potions since we were fifteen. It  _ is  _ one of the easiest ones,” he says, obviously holding back laughter.

Alec groans and drops his head onto the counter. 

“Please help me.” 

Simon and Luke both laugh but Simon actually does move to help him. 

About twenty minutes later Alec is holding a bottle of freshly made healing potion with pride. 

His first ever potion. 

***

The first time Izzy sees Jace after their fight is in the training room. The two of them usually spar in the mornings but neither of them have been up for it since Alec had left.

Izzy had been feeling jumpy this morning though, so she’d ventured to the training room to see if she could distract herself. 

As she pushes the door to the room open she feels her heart fall when she sees Jace with his back to the door. To her surprise, Max is standing in front of him, a staff held up in a defensive stance. They’re both breathing hard and sweaty. Apparently Jace had found himself a new sparring partner. 

Max sees her first, dropping his staff and smiling at her. 

“First rule of sparring,” Jace chastises. He hasn’t seen Izzy yet, “don’t get distracted.”

Max rolls his eyes and leans on his staff as Jace turns around to face the door. His entire demeanor freezes up when he sees Izzy and then his eyes harden.

“What’re you doing here?” He asks coldly.

“I was going to train,” Izzy answers calmly. She doesn’t want to fight with him right now. 

“Shouldn’t you be off on your quest to save our dead brother?” he asks, voice sharp, and meant to hurt. It feels like a punch in the gut even though Izzy had expected it.

She’d said things she hadn’t meant during their fight, things that were meant to hurt him. But he’d done the same and he obviously isn’t ready to apologize. 

“You’re acting like a child,” she answers, trying to stamp down the anger burning in her chest. She isn’t going to give Jace the fight he wants. Especially not when Max is right there watching them both.

“What’s going on?” Max asks. His face has gone pale at the mention of Alec and Izzy wants to punch Jace for bringing it up in front of him. He’s their little brother. They’re meant to protect him and here they are having an argument that’s obviously upsetting him. 

Izzy steps away from Jace and turns to Max with as much of a smile as she can muster. 

“Nothing’s going on,” she tells him softly, “everything is fine.” 

And then she spins on her heel and walks out of the room. 

***

Izzy finds Lydia in her room when she returns. She’s sitting on the bed and smiles when she sees Izzy walk in.

Somehow Lydia can tell Izzy’s upset because her smile drops and she stands, opening her arms. Izzy falls into them without hesitation, burying her face in Lydia’s shoulder and breathing in the sweet scent of her. 

They stay curled together for a long moment, Lydia’s hand stroking Izzy’s hair, before Izzy pulls away.

“Thank you,” she says quietly, “I needed that.” 

Lydia smiles sympathetically and they both sit down on Izzy’s bed.

“What happened?” she asks. 

Izzy sighs and flops over to  smush her face into her pillow. 

“I saw Jace,” she sighs bitterly and keeps her face in the pillow as she talks, “he asked me why I wasn’t working on my stupid  _ quest  _ to save Alec.”

Lydia makes a sympathetic noise and moves so that she’s also lying down on the bed, her head on the pillow next to Izzy’s. 

“Would it make you feel better if I said I have an idea for your  _ quest, _ as Jace has dubbed it?” 

Izzy turns to face Lydia, startling when she finds that their faces are closer than she’d anticipated. Lydia’s eyes are even bluer up close, ringed with gray and hints of gold. 

“What’s your idea?” she whispers into the space between them.

Lydia smiles and Izzy can’t help but mirror it. 

“Well, I was thinking. We’ve looked through all the books on Edom and come up with nothing.  _ But _ that’s just the books in the royal libraries. It’s obvious people don’t want us to know anything about Edom. But if we can sneak out of the castle and to a town bookstore maybe we’ll actually find something useful.

Izzy feels her smile growing as Lydia speaks. It’s a good idea. The best idea they have. And it sounds like it could be promising.

“Lydia you’re a genius,” she says in awe. 

Lydia laughs as Izzy pulls her into another hug and Izzy can’t stop smiling.

It’s small, barely anything, but it’s a plan. For the first time since Alec had left, Izzy feels hope that maybe she can actually bring him home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally some malec!! I know everyone’s probably been waiting for this haha
> 
> I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Tumblr: [lightwormsiblings](https://lightwormsiblings.tumblr.com)  
> Twitter: [alistoney1](https://mobile.twitter.com/alistoney1)


	8. Chapter VII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls go looking for answers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter’s song is Bad Dream by Ruelle 
> 
> enjoy!

Clary is running. 

The corridor is long and unending as her feet slap against the marble floor. There’s stained glass on either side of her but somehow no light bleeds through. 

She can feel her chest heaving, breath after breath getting shallower than the next as she keeps running. She knows she’s slowing down considerably, knows she can’t keep running forever. But she can’t stop now or she’s dead. 

The hall ends abruptly and Clary almost slams into the wall before she can stop herself. Her pulse thuds loudly in her ears and she checks over her shoulder for her pursuer. 

There’s nothing behind her. 

She lets herself catch her breath, laying a hand on the wall in front of her and taking in lungfuls of air. She can’t remember how long she’s been running but it seems like forever. 

Once she’s gotten her breathing under control, she notices that the wall in front of her isn’t bare. There’s a mural painted into the stone. An angel rising up out of a lake, brilliant yellows and oranges all around it. Above the mural, there’s a crest hanging on the wall, a flame carved into the center. 

She brings a hand up to touch the wall. Maybe to follow the lines of the paint, but instead gasps when the air in front of her shimmers gold. It curves in an intricate pattern and then fades out of existence. 

Clary doesn’t have time to contemplate what it could mean because as soon as it’s gone, there’s a horrible shrieking sound from behind her, and she whips around. 

The creature she’d been running from lunges at her and she doesn’t have time to move out of the way. 

She screams.

*** 

“Clary!” 

Clary’s eyes fly open and she takes a gasping breath. The first thing she sees is Maia’s eyes, dark and worried. Before Clary can think, she’s reaching out and pulling Maia into a crushing hug. 

She doesn’t realize she’s shaking until Maia pulls away slowly and takes Clary’s hand in hers.

“You’re okay,” she says softly, moving so that she’s sitting on the edge of Clary’s bed, “it was just a dream.” 

Clary breathes easier when she lets her eyes flit around the room and finds that she’s at the Jade Wolf in the spare bed in Simon’s room. She’s safe. It was just a nightmare. 

But it had felt so real. 

Maia still looks worried even though Clary has calmed down for the most part. She tucks a strand of hair that had fallen out of Clary’s ponytail behind her ear and then smiles at her. Clary leans into the brush of her fingers against her cheek and the shell of her ear, the touch grounding her and making her feel safe the way only Maia can. 

“What are you doing here?” Clary asks softly after a moment. Maia doesn’t live at the Jade Wolf like Clary and Simon do. She was much older when she’d joined the resistance and already had her own place, so she came and went like Magnus did. 

“I came to talk to Luke,” Maia answers, “I heard screaming when I came in,” her eyes darken, “I was worried something had happened to you.”

Clary sends Maia a wry smile, trying to brush off the obvious worry Maia has in her eyes.

“Well, I’m fine,” she assures, even though she feels anything but. She still feels shaken and can’t push down the feeling that parts of that dream  _ had _ been real despite it being obvious that they couldn’t be. 

Maia doesn’t look like she believes her. Clary has never been good at lying, to Maia especially. Maia has a good bullshit detector and she’s somehow always known what is going on in Clary’s head from even the smallest glance or gesture. 

She doesn’t fight Clary on it though. Instead, she picks up the book on the nightstand next to the bed. Clary had been reading it before she’d fallen asleep. 

Maia nudges Clary with her shoulder and moves to sit next to her under the covers when Clary makes room. 

“In that case,” she says, opening the book to Clary’s bookmarked page, “how about we do some light reading?” 

She’s got a rare Maia smile on when she looks at Clary. A smile that’s wide and full of affection, lighting up her entire face and making her look even more beautiful than usual. 

“I thought you had to talk to Luke?” 

Maia shrugs and bumps their shoulders together. 

“It’s not urgent,” she says, “and besides, we haven’t had quality Clary and Maia time in a while. I’ve missed you.”

Clary’s chest warms and she smiles a small smile. 

“I’ve missed you too,” she says quietly and drops her head onto Maia’s shoulder as she starts reading aloud. 

***

A few days later Clary is sifting through her things in her room, which Alec is currently occupying, looking for a missing paintbrush. 

She pauses when she sees something glint on the bedside table. She doesn’t think much of it at first, moving to keep looking through drawers but then she notices what it is. 

It’s Alec’s ring. The one they’d found him wearing when he’d first arrived. The Royal Idris ring or whatever Magnus had called it. But that isn’t what keeps her focus. She hadn’t noticed it before, hadn’t really gotten a good look at it, too busy trying to help Magnus carry a bleeding body and then later when he’d woken up, too angry to pay much attention to a piece of jewelry.

It’s silver, smooth except for at the center where there’s an engraving. An L carved into the center, and behind it a flame. The same crest she’d seen in her dream. 

Clary feels her breath catch in her throat and she tries to come up with a rational explanation before she makes this a bigger deal than it probably is. She’d probably seen the crest when the ring was on Alec’s finger and her mind had unconsciously projected it into her dream. It doesn’t mean anything. 

Except the dream had  _ felt  _ like it was important and a part of Clary, that she tries not to think about, knows that it’s not just a coincidence. 

She drops the ring back onto the table and leaves the room. 

She bumps into Alec on the way and his brows furrow at her. 

“Are you okay?” He asks in concern. 

“Fine,” Clary answers on autopilot even though she’s far from fine right now. She can feel her hands shaking again and her chest feels tight. 

Alec doesn’t look convinced and he opens his mouth to say something but Clary cuts him off. I’m just-didn’t get much sleep,” she says. It’s not a lie. 

Alec’s face shifts to something Clary can’t quite read. Something that looks like understanding. 

“Yeah, right. The-um nightmares.” 

Clary’s had the same dream constantly. Everyone knows she’s having nightmares since she keeps waking up screaming. Every time she wakes up to some variety of Luke, Simon, Maia, or Magnus. They’re all worried. Even Alec, apparently. 

They’re not friends. Clary still doesn’t trust him, and Alec is just as wary of her after how their first interaction had gone. They mostly avoid each other, but he looks genuinely sympathetic standing in front of her. He understands. 

Of course he does. He probably has nightmares too, what with his near death experience and finding himself alone in a kingdom he knows next to nothing about. 

Clary sends him as much of a smile as she can muster. 

“Yeah,” she says, and Alec doesn’t say anything else, just reaches out to squeeze her arm gently and then leaves her in the hall. 

Clary closes her eyes and lets out a slow breath. 

She needs to figure out what the hell is going on. 

***

Ever since Maia had found Clary after that first nightmare, she’s been around a lot more often. It’s not that odd for her and Clary to spend a good amount of time together, but usually Maia doesn’t spend as much time at the Jade Wolf as she’s been doing lately. 

Clary isn’t complaining. Maia grounds her, a steady presence in the shakiness that has overtaken Clary’s mind since the dreams started. A touch from Maia can calm Clary down considerably and she’s grateful for it. 

The dreams have started to vary. They’re not all nightmares but they give Clary an eerie feeling. And every dream involves a strange symbol like the first one. It’s not always the same symbol, but it always shows up in the same way. Gold and shimmering in the air in front of her, before disappearing. 

She doesn’t know what it means. None of her books have any symbols that look like the ones she’s seen. She’s contemplated asking Magnus about it, but he’s been so worried and distracted by the looming war, which is a much more important issue, so Clary had decided against it. No reason to add more to Magnus’ plate. 

Maia slides into the booth next to Clary, startling her out of her thoughts and then Simon slides into the seat in front of her and smiles. 

“What’s up Fray?”

“Nothing much,” she replies distractedly. 

She doesn’t miss the look Maia and Simon exchange across the table. 

“You sure you’re okay?” Maia asks, looking into Clary’s eyes intently. 

Clary feels like she can see straight through her and can’t control the way her lips twitch downwards. 

Simon and Maia are her best friends. Simon is basically like a brother to her. She’s always told them all her secrets no matter what. But for some reason she can’t seem to tell them about what she keeps seeing in her dreams. 

How is she supposed to tell them that she’s convinced that the things she sees are real? That these symbols mean something, without sounding like she’s lost her mind? The only proof she’s got is Alec’s ring and that isn’t even solid evidence. 

Clary smiles at both of them and nods. 

“Yeah. I’m fine.”

***

Izzy and Lydia peek around the corner of the hall and Izzy curses under her breath when she sees a guard standing at attention in front of the servants quarters.

Izzy had been banking on the fact that her parents wouldn’t think to station a guard by the servants area and that they’d be able to sneak out the door there.  But it seems they know Izzy better than she thinks they do. 

“What do we do?” she whispers to Lydia whose brows are furrowed in thought. 

“The guard,” she says quietly, “I think it’s Andrew Underhill.” 

Izzy looks back at the guard and notices the blond hair peeking out of the helmet and when he turns his head Izzy quickly hides back behind the wall. 

“Yeah,” she says, “it’s him. Do you think he’ll let us through if we tell him?” 

Lydia doesn’t seem sure but she nods. 

“He’s Alec’s friend.” 

That much is true. Alec and Underhill are close, they train together often and he is probably the only other person Alec spends time with other than his own family and Lydia. They’re very similar from what Izzy’s seen of their interactions.

“But Alec follows the rules. If he and Underhill get along then Underhill probably does too,” she says.

Lydia sighs and knocks her head against the wall. 

“He might make an exception if we tell him the truth about where we’re going. That we think Alec might be alive,” she suggests, though she doesn’t sound like she believes it will actually work.

Izzy contemplates that. Yes, Alec is a rule follower and Underhill probably is too. But Alec is also  _ Alec _ . He barely lets people in and that makes most people think he’s an asshole. But he’s not. Anyone who's been privy to Alec’s fierce love and protection knows that. 

Anyone who has had the pleasure of getting close to Alec would do absolutely anything for him. It’s just the way Alec is. He protects and cares so fiercely for those he loves that they’re always loyal to him in return. 

If anyone lets them out of the castle it’ll be Underhill. Izzy just needs to play her cards right. 

She nods at Lydia. 

“It’s our best shot.” 

Izzy holds her breath until they get to Underhill and stop in front of him. 

He bows when he sees them and Izzy smiles at him before getting to business.

“Andrew,” she says, “we need your help.” 

“Whatever you need, Your Highness,” he replies automatically. 

Izzy flicks her gaze to Lydia whose lips are pressed into a worried line. If this doesn’t work, Underhill will tell her parents what she’s up to and then she’ll never get out of the castle. 

“I need to leave the castle,” Izzy says lowly, leaning in closer to him to make sure no one else hears. 

Underhill’s eyes widen and he shakes his head, “I’m sorry Your Highness. I’m under orders.” 

“It’s for Alec,” Izzy says quickly before Underhill can make a move to warn anyone. 

He freezes and Izzy sees his jaw clench.

“Alec-“ he starts. 

“Might still be alive,” Lydia interrupts. 

Izzy nods, keeping her eyes on Underhill’s. She sees the familiar darkness of grief in his eyes. She can give him hope.

“And we may have a way to help him. But we can’t do it if we’re stuck in the castle. We need you to let us out,” she says, not looking away from his eyes.

Underhill’s gaze flick back and forth down the hall and he lets out a slow breath.

“I don’t know.” 

Izzy stamps down on her panic. This has to work. She has to  _ make  _ it work. She can’t let Alec down. 

“It’s the only way we might be able to bring him home,” she says, trying to keep the desperation out of her voice, “If there’s a chance he’s still out there alone, you  _ know _ we have to take it,” she pauses a long second to steady her voice and Underhill watches her with unreadable eyes. 

She swallows roughly, “For Alec.” She finishes, her voice quiet. 

Underhill is silent for a long terrifying moment. Izzy holds her breath and Lydia’s hand finds hers, squeezing it in silent support. 

Underhill nods. 

“Okay.” 

Izzy lets out the breath she’d been holding and gives him a grateful smile. 

Underhill steps away from the door and pushes it open for them. 

“I promise we’ll be back before nightfall. No one will even notice we were gone,” she assures before walking through the door. 

Underhill smiles at her, “I’ll hold you to that,” he says and stops her before she goes any further, “And Isabelle? 

“Yes?” 

He locks eyes with her, gaze serious when he speaks. 

“Bring him back. Bring him home.” 

Izzy swallows against the emotion that gets lodged in her throat and nods, determined.

“I plan to.” 

*** 

Once they’ve made it out and into Idris’ main plaza, Lydia quickly pulls Izzy into a clothing shop. 

They look too much like royalty. They’ve been catching people staring at them the whole way here and Izzy had even pulled up the hood on her cloak to try and seem more innocuous. They need clothing that doesn’t look like it cost a fortune. 

The woman in the store’s eyes widen when she sees them but she doesn't make much of a fuss when they ask for some common clothing. She just nods and goes to the back to find something for them. 

A few minutes later they’re back outside, blending into the crowds of people much better. The royal family doesn’t make too many public appearances. So thankfully, no one recognizes Izzy. 

The market is busy, people weaving in and out of stores, talking and laughing. Children play in the center courtyard and Izzy smiles. She wishes she’d been allowed to see this part of her kingdom more. The part that they’re supposed to rule and protect. Her whole life she’s been surrounded by the rich courts people and royalty.

Lydia smiles, looking truly happy for a moment. She links her arm with Izzy’s and they head to the bookstore on the corner of the street. 

Their first attempt at finding anything useful is disappointing to say the least. 

Izzy drops her forehead against the bookshelf and sighs. They’ve looked through the entire store and all they could find on Edom was the same book she’d found in the library at the castle. 

She glares at the copy of  _ The Shadow Realms _ still held in Lydia’s hand. 

“So the rest of Idris is just as censored at the Royal Library,” Izzy huffs in disappointment.

The giddiness over having escaped the castle. At finally having a plan that seemed plausible, is long gone. Frustration builds in her chest and Izzy wants to yell. 

Alec is counting on her and she can’t even find a book to lead her in some semblance of the right direction. 

A hand lands on Izzy’s shoulder and brushes down her arm. She closes her eyes and breathes against the frustration, concentrating on Lydia’s touch as her fingers travel down her arm. 

“Isabelle,” Lydia says softly, waiting until Izzy opens her eyes and looks into Lydia’s.

“I know you,” she says seriously, “and you don’t give up this easy. One bookstore that doesn’t have what we need doesn’t mean it’s over” 

Izzy watches the steely determination settle in Lydia’s eyes and straightens. 

“You’re right.” 

One failure doesn’t mean all is lost. After all, Idris has more than one bookstore. 

***

They don’t find anything until the fifth store. By that point even Lydia has wilted in her determination and failure is sitting painfully in Izzy’s chest. The sun has started to set over the horizon and they’re both ready to admit defeat. 

“How have we never noticed how much is being purposefully hidden from us?” Izzy asks angrily, as they step out of the fifth store, “there’s  _ nothing  _ on Edom anywhere. That can’t be a coincidence. Does no one  _ care  _ that all the history we know is only about Idris?” 

Lydia is shaking her head in bewilderment. 

“They’re hiding something,” she mutters, “it’s the only explanation.”

Their conversation stutters to a stop when a man appears in front of them. He’s dressed in all black and seems to have a weapon strapped to his thigh. A dark tattoo peaks out of his collar. 

“You’re looking for forbidden knowledge?” he asks, eyes sweeping from Izzy to Lydia and then back again. 

When neither of them answer, the man steps closer, lowering his voice. 

“You seek knowledge about Edom,” he states and Izzy’s heart rate picks up. 

He could be messing with them. Really, that’s most likely what is happening here, but she can’t stop the small flicker of hope. Because if he  _ isn’t  _ messing with them then this could be a lead. 

“Yes,” she says, ignoring the worried frown Lydia sends her. 

The man nods and takes Izzy’s hand, placing a folded piece of paper into the palm and closing her fingers back over it. 

“Go there,” he nods, “and you will find what you’re looking for.” 

And then, as quickly as he’d appeared, he’s gone. 

Izzy stares, wide eyed at where he’d been standing for a long moment before she uncurls her fingers and plucks the paper out of her hand. 

Lydia leans into her side as she unfolds it and reads the two words scrawled on the paper. 

_ The Institute _ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it! Let me know what you think and your theories! I love hearing them
> 
> Comments and Kudos mean the world <3
> 
> Tumblr: [lightwormsiblings](https://lightwormsiblings.tumblr.com)  
> Twitter: [alistoney1](https://mobile.twitter.com/alistoney1)

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you think. This is new for me and kudos and comments feed my soul. I hope you liked it!
> 
> There’s no posting schedule set in stone for this because I had no chill and posted this because I was too excited not to. 
> 
> Tumblr: [lightwormsiblings](https://lightwormsiblings.tumblr.com)  
> Twitter: [alistoney1](https://mobile.twitter.com/alistoney1)


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